There are several reasons why someone would choose to eat gluten-free today. Perhaps it’s a food allergy or sensitivity that sends your body reeling, and the reaction isn’t worth ingesting gluten. For some, it’s a nutritional preference with trying to stick with less processed foods, while others may prefer the taste of gluten-free cooking. Whatever your reason, pizza is one food you don’t want to give up when you give up gluten. Here’s how to make gluten-free pizza in a couple of different ways.
Making Gluten-Free Pizza at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Obtain gluten-free pizza crust mix or make your own crust using gluten-free flour such as rice flour, almond flour, or quinoa flour.
- Preheat your oven to 425-450 degrees Fahrenheit (220-230 degrees Celsius).
- Roll out or press the gluten-free dough into your desired shape and thickness on a baking sheet or pizza pan.
- Add your desired sauce, cheese, and toppings. Make sure all ingredients you use is gluten-free.
- Place the pizza in the preheated oven and bake for 8-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Take it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Note: it’s always important to check the ingredients of the toppings and sauces that you buy, as some may contain gluten.
Pizza Stone Gluten-Free Pizza
Image via Flickr by jules:stonesoup Licensed CC BY 2.0
While this gluten-free pizza recipe calls for a pizza stone, if you don’t have one, you can use a heavy baking sheet and preheat it in your oven, much like a pizza stone. The pizza stone does make a difference when baking gluten-free pizza, so you may want to invest in one if you plan to make gluten-free pizza dough frequently. This recipe also happens to be dairy-free, so if you opt to top your pizza with dairy-free cheese, the entire meal can be gluten-free and dairy-free. Follow these instructions to learn how to make gluten-free pizza dough.
Start with your pizza stone on the lowest rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Leave your stone in the oven while mixing the gluten-free crust ingredients to get it good and hot. In a mixing bowl, add three-quarters of a cup of warm water; the temperature should be between 110 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Add one tablespoon of sugar and one quarter-cup packet of active or instant yeast. Mix those three ingredients together and let sit for five minutes or until it looks foamy.
With an electric mixer, blend the flour blend and one teaspoon of salt. The flour blend may vary, but Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 is recommended. You can also make your own blend with one cup of white rice flour, three-quarters of a cup of brown rice flour, and one-quarter cup of tapioca starch. Add one egg, one tablespoon olive oil, one teaspoon of cider vinegar, and the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Mix on the lowest speed for one minute, scraping the sides of the bowl. You want the gluten-free pizza dough to be a loose ball.
Spread some olive oil on your hands to keep the dough from sticking and place the gluten-free pizza dough on a piece of parchment paper, then spread out into a 10- to 12-inch round crust. Bake your gluten-free pizza crust for eight to 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven to add toppings. Start with the sauce of your choice, such as marinara, barbecue, ranch, or alfredo. Add meats, including chicken, sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, or ground turkey, and then top with cheese. You can also add vegetables like green peppers, onions, spinach, mushrooms, or diced tomatoes.
Once you’ve created the gluten-free pizza of your dreams, pop it back into the oven for an additional eight to 10 minutes to finish baking. If you want a fluffier gluten-free pizza crust, you can let the dough rise at room temperature for up to 30 minutes, but if a flat crust is all you seek, the crust will rise enough in the oven.
Springy, Yet Crispy Gluten-Free Pizza
This gluten-free pizza crust recipe is similar to the first, but with a couple of differences that make the crust springy and crispy at the same time. Start with one cup of warm water, about 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and add one tablespoon of sugar or honey and one and one-half teaspoons of instant yeast. Whisk together and set off to the side for three to four minutes to let the yeast proof.
In a separate bowl, combine one and one-quarter cups of gluten-free 1:1 baking flour, one-quarter cup almond flour, one teaspoon baking powder, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, and one tablespoon of psyllium husk powder with an electric mixer. While mixing on low, add the yeast mixture and two tablespoons of olive oil. When everything is combined, increase the speed to medium-high for three to four minutes.
Use an oiled spatula to pull the gluten-free dough from the sides of the bowl and into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and oil a pizza pan or baking sheet. Use water or oil to wet your hands and push out the dough onto the pan. The dough will shrink while baking, so cover as much of the pan as possible. Once the dough is pushed out on the pan, let it stand another 10 minutes.
Bake your gluten-free pizza crust for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven to add your desired toppings, and then return it to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes. For a vegan pizza, add plenty of vegetables and dairy-free cheese. Let your gluten-free pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing.
Pequod’s Gluten-Free Pizza
While it’s nice to have a couple of go-to gluten-free pizza dough recipes on hand for making homemade pizza, Pequod’s Pizza offers the best gluten-free pizza in Chicago. The crust tastes so good; you’ll swear it isn’t even gluten-free! Top your Pequod’s pizza with premium toppings like meatballs or Italian beef. You can opt for fresh meat toppings as well, including pepperoni, ground beef, sausage, pepperoncini, anchovies, and Canadian bacon. Other fresh toppings include extra cheese, giardiniera, onion, jalapeno, mushroom, green pepper, spinach, green olives, black olives, tomato, pineapple, and extra sauce. Fresh garlic and basil are also available.
You can get delicious pizza from Pequod’s Pizza, either fresh-baked or frozen. Enjoy a 10-inch Pequod’s pizza at home anytime. It takes approximately 30 minutes to bake from frozen in a 425-degree oven. You can even order online.
Pequod’s Pizza is available in two convenient locations. The first is 2207 N. Clybourn Ave. in Chicago, open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sundays until midnight. The second location is 8520 Fernald Ave. in Morton Grove, with hours from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday from noon to 11:30 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 9:30 p.m.