Gluten free is all the rage right now! Well, those who actually suffer from gluten intolerance certainly do not see it as trendy, so much as a painful, inconvenient health issue. My husband’s side of the family carries some wheat and corn issues along with several food allergies. On my side, there are several cousins with wheat, corn, and other grain intolerances leading to inflammation and bowel disease. Mr.JAC and Lucky both break out in hives from many wheat and corn products. My issues tend to lean to the tummy and edema arena. I would not say any of us in our family are officially gluten intolerant, since we have never been tested. However, with so many Americans eating far too many grain based foods every day (particularly wheat), I figured it cannot hurt to add a little variation to our food routine. I went gluten free for a year back in 2005 to see if it would help with infertility. It didn’t resolve or help that problem, but it did teach me that the gluten free lifestyle is doable. I was even a vegetarian at the time! In fact, it is even more doable today than it was seven years ago! Most grocery stores have started offering alternative flours and products that can aid in alternative diets. Even if you do not live near a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, you can often find flour alternatives right at Target. I do not go overboard trying to keep my recipes pure of any wheat contamination, so you will want to use substitutes as you see fit.
*Note: almond meal and coconut flour are highly caloric. If you are watching calories or trying to improve your Omega 3/6 balance, you might want to substitute a different flour for the almond meal.
Gluten is the protein in wheat that makes it stretchy and helps the dough bind together. Without it, you can end up with a lot of crumbly, dry baked goods if you do not alter the rest of the ingredients. A gluten free frozen pizza is very expensive and many of the recipes out there are complicated.(It took me several weeks to learn no one in our family can tolerate xanthan gum!) It took me a lot of trial and error to come up with this pizza crust, but it holds together and you can actually eat small slices with your hands without it falling apart.
First the ingredients!
1 cup almond meal
3 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon crushed garlic or garlic to taste
1 tablespoon dried onion
A pinch of sea salt
1 cup white rice four
If you like a touch of sweetness you can add a small pinch of sugar or a drop of honey. I don’t bother.
Combine the water, eggs, garlic, sea salt, onion, optional sweetener, olive oil, and almond meal. Mix by hand. Slowly add the rice flour and fold into the mixture.
This will produce a consistency like thick pancake batter, It will not be a firm dough. Spread the batter out on a well used baking stone or a well greased baking sheet. (I have never used a pizza pan and cannot vouch for how a sheet pan will turn out.) You can can spread it as thin as you want. I like a thin crust, so I use a large stone and spread the batter thin.
Bake crust in preheated oven on 375 degrees F for 22 minutes, give or take a couple minutes. If you plan on using thick toppings, you might want to add about four minutes onto the baking time for the crust to be firmer. The crust does not rise since it has no wheat or yeast, so it will come out the same size as it went in.
Top with your preference of homemade or jarred marinara sauce. Add shredded or thinly sliced cheese of your preference. I recommend shredding a brick of cheese yourself since most pre-shredded bags contain grain starches to prevent caking and sticking.
We topped our pizza in this picture with olives, jalapenos, and capers. Try not to load it with heavy toppings or it will not hold together well.
Place your pizza back in the oven for 12 minutes or desired cooking time.
I recommend letting your pizza sit at least three minutes before slicing. I also recommend slicing in a square grid pattern.
This crust holds together well and can be eaten with your hands in small square slices. Large triangular slices might not maintain structural integrity.
Tips and tricks
For an even better crust texture, you can add about a 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the batter for more crunch. I recommend buying a wedge of parm and grating it yourself since the pre-grated stuff in a can usually has grain flours for anti-caking and preservatives with unknown ingredients. The parm helps give it crunch.
If you are completely grain free, you can substitute tapioca starch for the rice flour and get similar results.
If you have tree nut allergies, you can use all rice flour and eliminate the almond meal. The texture is a little different, but it will still hold together. I often only use the rice flour to lighten it up.
I am currently working on tweaking this crust to make a savory gluten free pie crust for chicken pot pie.
Oh! I am going to try tomorrow night. Pinning!
I’ll have to try this soon! It looks delicious!