Not many foods are more irresistible than a
slice of greasy, cheesy pepperoni pizza. Few things can be more
infuriating and depressing for gluten-intolerant or wheat-intolerant
people than watching non-celiac friends devour slice after slice,
knowing that even a few bites will cause hours of pain, discomfort,
and vomiting.
Gluten-free pizza crusts and pizza
mixes are available in many stores and online, but often, these
products lack the taste, texture, and satisfaction of a crispy, New
York-style pie. The flimsy, slimy, and bean-like flavors of many of
these crusts are even more disappointing than being excluded at the
local pizza joint. The extra cost, often two or three times as much
as a wheat-based crust, quickly consume non-gluten budgets, too.
Online searches reveal dozens of crusts
made from every non-gluten flour imaginable. Again, these flours
regularly bring $6 to $7 per bag, and recipes frequently combine two
or three flours in an attempt to simulate the perfection of a typical
wheat-based crust.
But crafting a wheat-free crust isn't
actually that difficult. Using common grocery-store items, many of
which are probably already in the cupboard, a wonderful, light,
crispy crust can be prepared in minutes.
The best pizza crust is made with one
flour, corn starch. This airy, light fine grind of corn produces a
wonderful, tight crumb. It holds up well to toppings and flavors
easily. The recipe below is an adaptation of several recipes from
several places, but most importantly from the book You Won't
Believe It's Gluten-Free! By Roben Ryberg.
It is best to use a scale to measure
the flour, as corn starch packs down easily.
Place 2 tablespoons of active dry yeast
in ½ cup of luke warm water. Gently stir with a fork to suspend the
yeast, but avoid making it frothy. Make sure to use yeast that is
gluten-free, such as that sold by Red Star, commonly available at
most grocery stores, including Walmart. Add 1-2 tablespoons of table
sugar, then set this in a warm place for about 10 minutes or until it
has doubled in size.
Optional: Place a tablespoon of flax
meal in 1/3 cup water for two minutes. This replaces one egg and adds
nutrients including healthy omega-3 fatty acids to the dough. Flax
meal can be purchased at most grocery stores. One bag lasts a long
time. Bob's Red Mill sells excellent, certified gluten-free flaxmeal.
In a large mixing bowl, weigh out 155
grams of corn starch. If you don't have a scale, use about 1 ¼ cups
of corn starch, spooning the flour carefully into the measuring cup
to avoid packing.
Add to the flour; ½ teaspoon baking
soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 ¼ teaspoon xantham gum, ½
teaspoon coarse salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon
garlic powder, unless using fresh onion and garlic. Use a whisk or a
fork to mix thoroughly.
Crack two eggs into the flax meal set
aside earlier, or three eggs if not using the flax meal. Add two
tablespoons of oil. I prefer to use grape seed oil because of the
health and high heat abilities, but olive oil works fine. With a
fork, mix until the egg yolks are no longer solid.
Carefully stir the now-risen yeast and
pour into the flax-egg-oil mixture, then stir until completely mixed.
Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Distilled white vinegar
can also be used.
Stir the liquid into the flour mixture.
The result will be a much thinner dough than a traditional pizza
dough, but it should also be quite sticky. If it is runny, add a
small amount of xantham gum. Set aside.
Turn the oven to 450 degrees. Use a
glass baking dish. If making pizza for two, a 9”x9” dish is fine.
Use a larger dish for a bigger pizza.
Spread about a teaspoon of oil on the
bottom of the pan, then gently sprinkle about a ½ tablespoon of corn
starch across the oil. The oil keeps the dough from sticking and the
cornstarch keeps the dough from breaking down in the oil and getting
soggy.
Use about two tablespoons of dough for
a 9”x9” pan. An easy trick with gluten-free cooking is to use
water to keep the dough from sticking. Spread the dough carefully
with damp hands to a very thin layer, ¼ inches thick or so. Gently
dimple the surface with fingertips almost completely through.
Set the pizza in the oven. It does not
matter if the oven is not up to temperature yet. Check the crust
every few minutes. Depending on several factors, including thickness
and the oven used, it could take 8-15 minutes for the crust to begin
to brown. It is ready when the edges are starting to darken and the
center no longer looks wet.
Remove from the oven and brush with a
small amount of oil. If using fresh garlic and onions, they can go on
now.
This pizza is best without sauce. Sauce
tends to cause the crust to become damp and fall apart. Once
finished, pizza sauce can be used for dipping if desired.
Toppings are a personal preference, but
for a simple pepperoni pizza, shred cheese over the baked crust, then
layer with pepperoni. Slice mushrooms and onions and place on top.
Shred a small amount of cheese over the top and then add sliced
olives. Put back in the oven for a few minutes until the edges of the
pepperoni are crispy and the cheese is melted. Remove and let cool
for a few minutes before slicing.
This will make a really nice pizza that
even gluten-eating friends will not guess is gluten-free. The light,
crispy texture is very pleasing. Extra dough can be stored in the
refrigerator in a glass jar, but remember to leave room for the yeast
to continue to rise.
This pizza can be made sans pepperoni
and the eggs can be replaced entirely with flax for a vegan-friendly,
non-dairy meal also.
