This thin crust gluten free pizza dough recipe, made with individual flours, is easy to make. I almost can’t believe I’m saying that but the key here is to be set up to use individual flours. Of course you also need to learn about the equipment and a few tips for gluten free yeast breads.
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Gluten Free Pizza Dough: Frozen, Precooked or Homemade Dough
When you’re new to gluten free you’ll find all the frozen pizza in a box as well as precooked pizza shells. Much like learning about gluten free bread you simply need to try them all and see what you think.
The reviews are mixed. Some people are happy with the choices available and some can live without pizza. Then there cooks like me who want to master homemade pizza.
🍕 Ingredients
I’m always recipe testing so I’m organized to mix any combination of flours. A small amount of effort up front makes cooking more enjoyable. If you're looking for tips to organize flour checkout this post, EGFG Gluten Free Flour Blend or the video, How To Make A GF Flour Blend, to see what my set up looks like.
- active dry yeast
- olive oil
- brown rice flour
- cornstarch
- tapioca starch
- teff flour
- psyllium husk powder
- xanthan gum
- pizza sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Gluten Free Flour for Pizza
When I bought the cookbook, No Gluten, No Problem Pizza, I learned more about pizza than I ever knew. In their beautiful book Kelli and Peter Bronski share 19 different recipes for pizza dough. That was news to me, 19 different kinds of dough. (How did I not know that?)
Let's talk about gluten free flour. Finding a gluten free flour blend that works for ‘most’ of your baking is a game changer. I use my EGFG flour blend for about 80% of my baking. From muffins to pie pastry, cinnamon rolls and so much more. My hope for you is that it doesn't take five years to figure that out.
I have never had luck with those so called 'all purpose' blends in recipes using yeast. For dinner rolls, bagels, pizza dough and all yeast breads, a different combination of flours is needed for the best result.
That's why you now see separate blends available labeled as bread flour or pizza flour blend.
There's no right or wrong way to cook gluten free. I'm set up to store and use many separate flours because I like to make every kind of recipe. Most of my pizza dough recipes use a combination of four or five flours and starches. If you're up for that then get the equipment you need and let's make pizza!
Instructions
Gluten free baking often looks different than what you might expect. Here you can see that after the dry and wet ingredients are stirred together it looks very much like a batter.
This is because gluten free flours and starches do not absorb liquid the way wheat flour does. Just be patient and you can almost see the batter turn to dough in front of you eyes.
I've made this recipe many times and in as little as five minutes I can scrape it out onto the counter and start pressing the dough. It takes patience and time so don't give up. I find that if I stop pressing for a few minutes and go organize other ingredients I don't make holes from forcing it.
Best Equipment for Making Pizza
Kitchen equipment is an investment you make over time. You don't need top of the line equipment but you can't make great pizza in cheap pans with the oven at 400°F. A baking steel or pizza steel is key to getting closer to that perfect gluten free pizza crust you dream of.
Pizza Steel
A pizza steel (also called a baking steel) conducts heat better than a pizza stone so when your pizza stone breaks I suggest you buy a heavy, pizza steel. If you’re still trying to make pizza on an inexpensive aluminum pan it’s time to upgrade.
Measure your oven before you choose your pizza steel. Mine is made by Vermont Castings, measures 14 x 18-inches and even though it is only ⅛-inch thick it takes two hands to lift it. Thicker is better but you have to store it and move it.
Here are three pizza steels I found online:
- Basic 14-inch square pizza steel
- Darebuilt 14 x 22-inch wide (measure your oven)
- This Fire & Slice steel pizza stone is 14 x 16-inches and available in three thicknesses. The ½-inch steel weighs 32 pounds!
Pizza Peel
A pizza peel helps you move your pizza in and out of the oven so chose one at least 12-inches across. If you want the super long handle pizza peel like you see on TV, and you've got a broom closet to store, then I think you should buy it!
- Wooden or metal short-handled pizza steel
- Large 37-inch detachable handle
Pizza Gift Basket Ideas
Whether you’re building a gift basket or getting your kitchen decked out to take your pizza to the next level, here are more items you may want.
- Parchment paper in this recipe to solve the problem of placing raw dough on a hot surface.
- Any small pizza wheel for cutting
- A fancy mezzaluna chopper
- Epicurean pizza rocker
Gluten free cooks know that in the kitchen the learning never ends. I highly recommend this book No Gluten, No Problem Pizza. It is a fabulous gift for yourself or anyone who wants to make better gluten free pizza.
I’d love to hear in the comments below if you tried this pizza dough recipe or what you're learning about pizza.
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Gluten Free Pizza Dough (Thin Crust)
Ingredients
PROOF YEAST
- 157 grams warm water (110-115°F)
- 1½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 50 grams brown rice flour
- 50 grams cornstarch
- 50 grams tapioca starch
- 12 grams teff flour
- 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
SPRINKLING FLOUR
- ½ cup sweet rice flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
TOPPINGS of your choice
Instructions
PROOF YEAST and MAKE DOUGH
- Run tap water until very hot. In a 2-cup measuring cup weigh water and check the temperature, 110-115°F.
- Add sugar and yeast. Stir and let activate for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to yeast mixture then pour into dry ingredients.
- Stir vigorously until dough is smooth and has no lumps. It will look more like a batter. Let rest 5-10 minutes to hydrate and become a workable dough.
SHAPE, TOP and BAKE PIZZA
- Place large sheet of parchment, about 15-inches square. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon bench flour and turn dough onto parchment.
- With oiled hands gently press dough into 12-inch circle forming a raised edge all around.
- Spread pizza sauce evenly over dough leaving edges without sauce. Top as desired (see suggestion below).
- Slide pizza peel under parchment and transfer to preheated oven with pizza steel.
- Bake in oven (550°F) for 2-3 minutes. Using a pizza peel lift pizza from parchment and remove paper. Continue cooking pizza for 5-6 minutes.
- Let rest 2-3 minutes, slice and serve.
Andrew
This pizza dough was amazing! Great texture and decent flavour. Best gluten-free crust I have made. Our oven only goes to 500F which was fine. Before putting on toppings I baked the crust for 3min, removed the parchment, flipped the crust over to have the smooth side up, then added toppings and baked some more.
Cinde Little
Andrew, that's awesome! I'm happy to hear you made it work in your oven with a pre-bake step then flipping it over. Excellent! I hope you make many more pizzas.
Paul Baker
I would NEVER USE hot tap water!!! Water from a water heater contains contaminants such as heavy metals, concentrated chlorine, and concentrated fluoride.It is NOT DESIGNED FOR INTERNAL USE!!! This can be deadly! Just heat water in a pot or kettle, You could also buy an instant hot water tap, that is plumbed in next to your sink.
Cinde Little
Hey Paul, I can see you feel strongly about that. Many bread bakers recommend using filtered water for bread making. I have a plumbed in filtered water line in my kitchen and use that water for drinking and cooking. I prefer not to use water out of a plastic bottles. Over here on my website my focus is to help people learn to cook gluten free and avoid the unhealthy processed food that is so readily available. I also want them to learn to have fun in the kitchen. Everything else about the food industry, food manufacturing and health etc is an individual, life long journey and it's full of challenges for people on a gluten free diet. So thanks for your comment, some people may read and appreciate your perspective.
Alene
Hi! Hope you are having nice day. Which flour can take the rice's place? Sorghum?
Cinde Little
Hi Alene, I hope you had a nice day too! Sounds like you're getting used to substituting for rice flour. Compared to other pizza dough recipes I've made I think I'd try corn flour, sorghum flour or oat flour. Let me know how it turns out.