Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

There are two things that are necessary for really good gluten-free pizza crust; par-baking the crust and a hot oven. I proved it by serving this pizza to a group of 6 and 7 year old (non gluten-free) boys at my son’s 7th birthday party. I knew it was a success when their plates were empty.

The recipe might seem long, but I put in a lot of details. Make it a few times, and it won’t seem hard at all. This recipe makes a fluffy, soft crust. If you like a thinner crust, divide the dough into two crusts rather than one. I have made it successfully by using only 21⁄2 cups of my flour blend without the other flours or starch (see Note).

Soft pizza crust recipe

Makes 2—12 inch pizzas

2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider or white vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar

1½ cups Amy’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend
¼ cup white rice four
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup sorghum four
2¼ teaspoons quick rising yeast (1 packet)
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
¾ cup hot water (heated to 120°F-130°F)

Notes: You can use 2½ cups of Amy’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend and omit
the white rice four, cornstarch, and sorghum four. The various flours are
used to make the dough more white and less yellow. The millet flour in the
flour blend gives it a yellow color.

If you use regular yeast (not quick/rapid), use warm water (105°F-115°F). Let dough rise for 45 minutes in step 8.

1. Place 1 or 2 pizza stones in the oven depending upon how many pizzas you are making. Or you can use 1 stone and bake them one at a time. If you don’t have a pizza stone, place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
2. Heat the oven to 200°F to get the stone and oven warm. Turn the oven off after 5 minutes.
3. Mix the eggs, olive oil, honey, and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Add the dry ingredients to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (not the dough hook). Using a whisk, mix the dry ingredients. You can also mix on low with the paddle attachment.
5. Once you have all of your ingredients ready, turn the stand mixer on and add the egg and liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix for
   10 seconds. Add the water. Raise the speed to medium and mix for 2-3
   minutes. The dough will be sticky/tacky and will spread to the side of
   the bowl. It will look more like cake batter.
6. Cut a piece of parchment paper slightly smaller than the pizza stone or about 14″ wide if you are using a tray. Place the parchment on a pizza peel or back of a baking tray, and lightly brush the paper with olive oil.
7. With a greased spatula or scooper, transfer pizza dough onto the
   middle of the paper.
   
8. With greased hands, gently pat the pizza dough into a 12″-13″ circle (or to the size of your pizza stone). If the dough is very sticky, add a little gluten-free four blend on top to make it easier to handle. Once spread, make a crust or raised edge on the pizza by folding the edges over slightly toward the center. If you are going to flip the pizza after par-cooking, do not make a raised edge.
   
9. Slide the dough with the paper onto the stone in the oven. If you
   aren’t using a stone, keep the dough on the baking sheet. Leave for
   15-20 minutes to rise and then remove from oven by sliding the dough and paper back onto the peel or by removing the tray. Keep the stone in the oven.
10. Do not remove parchment paper from the dough. Heat the oven to 450°F for at least 20 minutes; the longer the better. Slide crust onto the stone and bake for 5-7 minutes or until crust is just starting to get light brown on the edges. If you don’t have a stone, keep the crust on a baking sheet.
11. Remove the crust from the oven and cool briefly. Remove parchment paper. Optionally, for a crisper bottom, flip the crust over.
    
12. Add sauce and toppings. Cook for about 7 minutes or until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted.
    
13. Cool 3-5 minutes. Use a pizza cutter or kitchen scissors to cut into pieces.