Sometimes you just have to have a real deal pizza. But you don’t want that heavy bloated gut feeling you get after eating some. Unfortunately, most all gluten free or Paleo pizza crust just don’t cut it when it comes to taste and texture. I won’t even go into that whole cauliflower crust thing. This is recipe that I developed for amazing pizza crust that you will not know it’s not a New York style thin crust that’s tastes just like the real thing, has the right crispy yet chewy texture and will hold up to toppings. The bonus is that it’s also grain-free, way lower in carbs than both wheat crust or other gluten free crusts. So you can have this deliciousness without the carbs or the bloat.
This recipe is also super versatile; I’ve made tortillas, flat breads like Naan, bread sticks like from Olive Garden and an amazing flaky pie crust from it. What I also like to do is double the recipe and make either two 14-inch crusts or four 10-inch crusts, freeze them and use whenever I want a pizza.
Ingredients
3/4 cup fine blanched almond flour
1/4 cup plus 2 TBS arrowroot flour
3 TBS tapioca flour
1/3 cup white sweet potato flour (found on Amazon here), also called Harina de Camote
4 tsp psyllium husk powder
1/4 cup golden flax meal
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS Active Dry Yeast
1 egg white
3/4 cup plus 2 TBS water
2 tsp honey
Directions for Pizza Crust
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and put in a pizza stone if you’re using a stone. In a small bowl warm the water slightly in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Add honey and the yeast to the water and allow it to bloom (small foaming); it takes about 5 minutes. In a large bowl add all dry ingredients and whisk to mix well. Empty dry contents into a food processor or stand mixer. Add the egg white and the water/yeast mixture and process until it turns into a sticky dough consistency. (it will first get crumbly and then it will become sticky). Transfer the dough back into a bowl and use your hands form into a ball. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise 30 – 40 minutes. Transfer dough ball onto a large piece of parchment paper and with your hands flatten slightly. The dough should not be sticky anymore. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 15 inches in diameter. Curl about ½ inches of the edges and press down to form a lip. Using a fork, prick the dough in several places to prevent air pockets (some small air pockets are ok).
Transfer the rolled dough along with the parchment paper onto the hot pizza stone in the oven and bake for approximately 7 – 9 minutes. Transfer the pre-cooked crust out of the oven leaving in the stone. Add toppings of choice and transfer the crust without the paper back onto the stone and bake for another 9 - 12 minutes until topping is hot and cheese is melted. Note: you can use a pizza pan if a pizza stone is not available; however the pizza may not be as crispy. If you want a crispy crust without using a stone, use the pan for the pre-cooking part only but put crust directly onto the oven rack without the parchment for the final baking with toppings. May need to turn oven down to 400 degrees for the final baking if using this method.
Directions for Flat Bread (Naan)
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. If using a baking stone put it the oven to pre-heat. Follow directions from above to make dough ball. After rising for 30 – 40 minutes divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Using your hands roll each piece into an oblong ball. With a rolling pin roll out the dough on parchment paper one at a time each ball into a 3” x 5” flat oblong shape about ¼ inch thick. Transfer the rolled flat bread directly onto a flat sheet pan or a baking stone. Brush each piece with a little oil (olive oil, melted butter or Ghee). Sprinkle a little salt to taste and a little dried parsley flake. You can also sprinkle a little granulated garlic and other herbs. Bake for 9 – 12 minutes until the bread is golden brown on the outside and cooked on the inside but still pliable. Check at 9 minutes; do not over bake.
Directions for Bread Sticks
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. If using a baking stone put it the oven to pre-heat. Follow directions from above to make dough ball. After rising for 30 – 40 minutes divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Using the palm of both hands, in a back and forth motion, roll each piece into a long slender piece about 2/3 inch in diameter and 6 to 7 inches long. Gently lay each piece about 2 inches apart on the heated stone or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 6 - 7 minutes, then turn over and bake for another 6- 7 minutes. At this point lightly brush olive oil covering all sides and sprinkle a little garlic powder (optional) and bake for another 4 -5 minutes until desired crispness.
Directions for Tortillas
Follow directions from above to make dough ball but leave out the yeast and honey. No need to let rise. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll in your palms into a ball. Lay a piece of plastic wrap down on the counter, press a dough ball down slightly. Lay another piece of plastic wrap over the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll into a round circle about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Transfer to a plate lined with some parchment paper. Continue to finish the rest of the dough balls. Put parchment between or plastic wrap between each tortilla. Heat a flat griddle and cook each tortilla until there is a slight bubble; flip to cook the other side. You can store tortillas in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for months.
