Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, this is my go-to Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe. This gluten free pizza recipe is freezer friendly and makes the perfect pizza! | Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you for supporting brands that help keep Vanilla And Bean cookin! All opinions are my own.
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Giving up Gluten for a Trial
Homemade sourdough bread was the first thing I freaked out about when giving up gluten for a trial period. Homemade pizza dough was the second. After making so many gluten free pizza dough recipes, tweaking methods and ingredients, I’m finally super excited about this gluten free pizza crust recipe! Add my Homemade Pizza Sauce to make your gluten free pizza even better!
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, this gluten free pizza recipe is crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and tastes amazing! The Test Kitchen’s key ingredients include psyllium husk powder, which adds chewiness similar to a gluten crust, baking powder to give the dough a leavening boost and almond flour for structure building protein.
What’s Different about this Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe
While the ingredients for this gluten free pizza recipe are almost identical to the Test Kitchen’s, I did tweak a few. Reducing the psyllium husk powder and baking powder just a bit creates a crisper crust and I also use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour sans the Test Kitchen’s homemade mix.
Additionally, the method I use for this gluten free pizza dough recipe strays from the Test Kitchen’s machine mixing, shaping and long low-temperature bake method in favor of hand mixing, different shaping method and quicker bake time somewhat similar to a homemade sourdough pizza crust I’ve been making for years.
How to Make Gluten Free Pizza in Four Easy Steps
- First: mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Second: set it and forget it for 90 minutes to let the dough rise.
- Third: shape the gluten free pizza dough.
- Last: par-bake the gluten free pizza crust.
It’s almost ready! …now, pile on the toppings de jour and bake the pizza for about 8 minutes.
Pour your favorite beverage and enjoy the best gluten free pizza!
Gluten Free Pizza Crust… What else?
What else you can make with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour?
It was a no brainer that Bob’s Red Mill ingredients were my first choice when on a gluten free trial. Bob’s gluten free ingredients made my transition to gluten free eating much easier and tastier than I imagined.
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour is a blend of gluten-free flours, starches, and xanthan gum. It’s helped me create light and fluffy cupcakes, pastry for apple and pumpkin pie, tender cornbread and delectable cookies based on old favorites. Using their Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and Almond Flour in this vegan pizza dough is an easy way to still enjoy fabulous pizza sans gluten.
Also, Bob’s Red Mill Psyllium Husk Fiber contributes to the chewy texture in this gluten free pizza recipe, as you’d want in any pizza crust.
A Few Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe Notes
- The crust is par-baked meaning the crust is baked prior to piling on the sauce and toppings. I’ve made this recipe without par baking the crust, but the crust didn’t finish baking by the time the toppings were done. So, after the crust is par-baked, add the sauce and toppings.
- Shaping the gluten free pizza dough takes a little practice and finesse. Because the dough is wet, and you wet your hands in order to shape it (sans flour), it’s almost like trying to shape mashed potatoes into a pizza shape. The excess water will cook off, don’t worry.
- Par-baking the crust and finished pizza at 550F contributes to a crisp outer crust and chewy interior. At that temperature, the assembled pizza will bake fast. So be sure to keep an eye on it. Seven to nine minutes should do it!
- Note that parchment paper is generally rated for use under 500F. So at 550F, with any overhang, the paper will char and become brittle. I’ve not had parchment catch fire when baking pizza, but I do keep a close eye on it so that the parchment doesn’t come into contact with the heat source.
- To bake multiple crust and pizza, you can use either a pizza stone and/or the back of a sheet pan. Preheating both while preheating the oven will help create a crispy crust. You can use either because they both produce similar results with gluten-free pizza dough.
- A pizza peel makes transferring the shaped gluten free pizza dough (with parchment supporting it) to the preheated stone/pan a snap. I recommend it. However, if not using a peel, the shaped pizza dough can be slid off the back of another pan and onto the preheated stone/pan. Just be careful as the oven is very hot!
For more recipes using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and so many other fabulous ingredients head to their BobsRedMill.com.
MORE PIZZA RECIPES TO LOVE
- Greek Pizza
- Grilled Vegetable Pizza – by Kitchen Confidante
- Flatbread Salad Pizza
- Smoky Brussels Sprout Pizza – by Bojon Gourmet
- Homemade Pizza Sauce
the recipe
Gluten Free Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 C (500g) Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- 1/2 C + 1 Tbs (75g) Almond Flour I use Bob's Red Mill
- 3 1/2 tsp Psyllium Husk Powder I use Bob's Red Mill
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Quick Rise or Rapid Rise Yeast
- 2 1/2 C (590g) Water 100F (38C)
- 1/4 C (50g) Olive Oil + more for brushing the parchment paper
Instructions
- Mix the Dough: In a medium mixing bowl add the gluten-free flour, almond flour, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, salt, and yeast. Whisk so that the ingredients are evenly distributed. Pour in the warmed water and olive oil. Mix with a fork until the ingredients come together. Knead by hand, in the bowl, for one minute making sure the dough is hydrated. It will be thick and sticky, almost like mashed potatoes. Scrape the excess dough off your fingers using a fork. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave on the kitchen counter or warm area to rise for about 90 minutes. The dough should rise to about 1 1/2 times its size and be fluffy.
- While the Dough is Rising: Prepare a sheet of parchment paper by generously brushing olive oil on the parchment. This is the base to shape and bake the crust on. Have a pizza peel or sheet pan standing by to slide the shaped dough on to for baking. Prepare the oven by placing oven rack at the second to top setting and if making two pizzas, another rack two settings down (leaving enough room to slide the pizza on to the pan).Place sheet pan(s) and/or pizza stones on racks. Two crusts or pizzas can be baked at the same time. Prepare the ingredients for the pizza. Just before you're ready to divide and shape the dough, preheat the oven to 550F (288C).
- Divide the Dough: At this point, you'll only use water to help shape the dough. Fill a shallow dish with water so you can wet your hands as you work with the dough. Do not use flour here (as traditionally done with glutenous dough). Moisten a work surface with water. Turn the dough out onto the moist work surface. Dip your fingertips and palms into the water and pat the dough into somewhat of a rectangle, then divide the dough into three equal pieces. Moisten your hands again and shape each piece into a rough ball by tucking the edges under. Set the dough balls on parchment or a water-moist work surface. At this point, the dough can be frozen (see notes below).
- Shape the Dough: On the oiled parchment paper, set a pizza dough ball in the center. Dip your palm and fingertips into the water. Working with both fingertips and palms, start pressing in the center of the dough, working your way towards the edges in a circular pattern leaving an edge all around that is thicker than the base of the crust (you can play with this if you like a thicker crust). It will feel almost like trying to shape mashed potatoes! There may be a bit of occasional tearing, if so, wet your hands/fingertips and smooth those areas back together. Turn the parchment as you work the dough so that a pizza shape can be achieved. Continue, wetting your hands and smoothing over the dough with light pressure as needed so the dough does not stick to your hands and you shape it by smoothing the dough in circular motions and/or pinching to create the edges, then smoothing with moist fingers again. It's okay that the parchment gets a little wet. I make my crust thin on the bottom and go for an 11" crust - but you can play with this if you like a little thicker crust (10" pizza). Wet a fork and dock the pizza with the tines of the fork 5-6 times. Tear off any excess parchment paper so that it's flush with the pizza dough, leaving enough overhang to use as a handle if needed. *Note that parchment paper is generally rated for use under 500F. So at 550F, with any overhang, the paper will char and become brittle. I've not had parchment catch fire when baking pizza, but I do keep a close eye on it so that the parchment doesn't come into contact with the heat source.
- Par-Bake the Dough: Slide the shaped pizza dough onto a pizza peel or the back of a sheet pan using the parchment as a handle if needed. Open the oven and pull out the rack with the stone/pan. Slide the pizza dough onto the preheated pizza stone or back of the preheated pan. Sometimes the center puffs a bit during baking. Check the dough halfway through baking and if it has puffed in the center, use a knife to poke a small hole to let some of the steam out from under the pizza - use the knife to press it down to release the steam. Par-bake for 13-15 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Remove from oven and top with favorite sauce and toppings. (The parchment will be brittle at this point, and can be removed before baking the pizza).
- Bake the Pizza: Bake the assembled pizza on preheated stone or pan at 550F (288C) for 7-9 minutes or until the cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly - a little cheese blistering is okay! The pizza bakes fast at high heat, so keep an eye on it! Remove from oven and allow to rest for five minutes. Cut into 8 equal pieces.
- Store pizza leftovers in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat at 350F for about 12 minutes.
