Pizza Dough Recipe

Pizza Making... Gluten Free

Aaron and Taylor choose toppings 

So, I love to bake and I love to cook. I also fully believe that our young people (in today's case my family) should be engaged in the process of this creative creating. And that can't be fully enjoyed without some level of chaos!

I also love pizza. Like seriously, if someone would give me permission to eat pizza everyday I probably would. Pepperoni and mushroom; chicken, spinach and feta; spinach, artichoke and feta; roasted garlic, chicken, pesto... the list goes on and on. Mushrooms, olives, pepperoni, chicken, spinach and lots of cheese.

So, the fact that I love to bake and cook and that I love pizza means that when the kids come over I love to make pizza with them. And there is nothing as exciting as making personal sized pizza - each making there own! (Okay, I make the dough!)

Ready for the oven

I make a gluten free pizza dough because I can. Because at one time my love for baking was disappearing as it was just not challenging enough. I knew the ingredients I mixed in the bowl would turn out - there was no uncertainty in it. The excitement is back as I keep trying out recipes with flours and ingredients that I know nothing about and stir mixtures with this slight fear that it might all flop (that wouldn't be the first time!).

Okay, now that is all out of the way - back to what is most important!

Pizza's done baking

This is the best pizza dough I've made to date, so, so good! And it was easy. It is a yeast dough (my last recipes have not been) so deciding to make it 30 minutes before dinner will not work. It will require the necessary rising time! I commend this recipe to you - currently I'm planning on baking some more and freezing it for those days when I decide it's a pizza night 30 minutes before dinner.

I made two batches which made five personal pizza's out of it.
The recipe is below but be sure to visit Nicole's website: www.glutenfreeonashoestring.com and the direct link to the recipe here.

Enjoy!!


Pizza Dough
2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus an extra tablespoon or two for drizzling)

1. In a medium-size bowl or the bowl of your food processor, place the flour, xanthan gum, yeast, sugar, and salt and stir to combine.
2. To the flour mixture, add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the water in a steady stream, either pulsing in a food processor or mixing with a spoon or fork to combine. If you are using a food processor, pulse while streaming in the water, until a ball begins to form. Otherwise, stir constantly while streaming in the water and continue stirring until the mixture begins to come together. If the dough seems super sticky, add some more flour a tablespoon at a time, and stir or pulse to combine. Press the dough into a disk.
3. Place the dough in another medium-size bowl and drizzle it with olive oil. Turn the dough to coat it with oil. This will prevent a crust from forming on the dough while it is rising. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free area to rise until doubled in volume (about 1 hour).
4. After the dough has risen, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour before rolling it out.
5. To make pizza, roll between two pieces of plastic wrap. Create a crust by rolling in the edges, brush the dough with olive oil, and blind bake it at about 400 degrees F (that is, bake it plain, before topping it) for 5 to 7 minutes, sot he crust begins to crisp. Then, top it with sauce, cheese, and whatever else you have in the fridge, and return it to the hot oven until the cheese is melted, another 5 to 7 minutes.

Enjoy your Pizza!