With the rise of celiac disease and gluten intolerance, we thought it would be helpful to create a list of the best gluten-free pizza and pizza crust recipes we could find. For what it’s worth, we’d like to put in our “two cents” regarding the controversy over gluten, and whether gluten-free is actually good for us or not.
I’ve just come across a recent article from a “medical” journal website which insisted that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that a gluten-free diet is “healthier” for someone without celiac disease or a severe gluten intolerance. Well, we are not scientists, but there’s a WHOLE lot of anecdotal evidence out there (and I believe some actual, scientific evidence as well) that flies in the face of that assertion. Some of the healthiest populations on the planet eat naturally gluten-free diets that include no wheat at all (rice is a staple in South Asia), and lots of healthy fruits/vegetables/nuts. There’s actually a whole lot of evidence that points to gluten causing problems in everyone who lets gluten slide down their throats – ANYONE! One of the very scary side effects of gluten is that it causes something called “intestinal permeability” in everyone. When you eat any food, there are lots of contaminants from germs to dust that get into the food and need to be ejected from your body via the waste route, not into your bloodstream. However, gluten breaks down the system around your intestine walls and allows some of that waste to enter your bloodstream. Yuuuk! If you care to read more about that, and 10 more reasons to stay away from gluten, check out the article link at the bottom of the page.
Now, back to PIZZA that won’t break down your gut walls!
Each of these recipes can be adapted to baking in a pizza oven so read on!
The majority of gluten-free pizza crusts benefit from pre-baking in an oven…this helps to set up the crust, making it easier to handle. Once your gluten-free crust has been pre-baked, it can be frozen for a quick meal or topped right away and baked in a pizza oven to the point of perfection. (We recommend the Wisco Pizza Oven for this, or you can just use your regular kitchen range oven).
The majority of the gluten-free pizza recipes I’ve listed below call for a blend of gluten-free flours and some additional ingredients that act as dough conditioners (like guar gum, tapioca starch, and xantham gum) which help to make the dough more stretchy and elastic. Each recipe is a bit different so be sure to try them all and see which one is your favorite!
Gluten-free dough can sometimes be sticky but there are a few tricks to help combat that. Try rolling the dough between 2 pieces of parchment that have been floured. Or, instead of flouring the parchment, oil it by putting a bit of oil on one sheet and spreading it around using the other sheet. Chilling the dough can help with stickiness, and wetting your fingers a bit before handling the dough works well too.
If the recipe you’re using calls for yeast, give it time to work. Yes, gluten-free pizza dough can be ready to go pretty quickly but the longer the dough ferments, the better the flavor, and texture you will get. Gluten-free ingredients can take longer to absorb liquid so it’s best to make your dough 6 to 8 hours ahead of baking time (or even overnight) if you can.
The recipes I’ve posted have received glowing reviews but if you’re a new or inexperienced gluten-free baker, you may want to try a “ready-made” gluten-free pizza crust mix. We recommend Pamela’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crust mix. It creates an amazingly crispy crust and can be baked on a pizza stone or in any oven, including wood-fired. Oh, and it tastes pretty awesome too!
So, here they are (in no particular order)!
The Top 11 Best Tasting Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipes
- This recipe from the Minimalist Baker uses white rice, brown rice, and tapioca flours. The ingredients are simple and uncomplicated (only seven of them for the crust) and produce a fantastic pie.
- The next gluten-free pizza recipe comes from Epicurious and makes 2 good 10” pizzas. Gluten-free chickpea, sorghum, tapioca and white rice flours are used along with egg whites and milk. I love the pizza sauce recipe featuring simple, natural ingredients.
- She Likes Food has created a fantastic gluten-free pizza recipe featuring Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour. The addition of maple syrup and butter adds a delightful flavor to this simple, uncomplicated pie.
- The secret ingredient in this next delicious recipe from Food Network is potatoes! They add great texture and impart a bit of a French fry flavor once the pizza is baked. To get the potatoes to the right consistency, the recipe recommends a potato ricer (it looks like a giant garlic press). Once the potatoes are cooked, you would press them through the ricer breaking them down to small bits of potato. A food processor could be used in place of the ricer to achieve basically the same effect…just pulse it a few times and you’ll be good to go. This recipe also features white rice flour, tapioca starch, and one egg white.
- King Arthur has created their own unique gluten-free multi-purpose flour and it is the base for this delectable gluten-free pizza crust. They recommend making this recipe into a thin crust pizza since the dough is soft and tends to spread. This recipe also calls for a touch of honey which imparts just the right amount of sweetness. Reviewers say the leftover pizza is even good the second day!
- This recipe from Food calls for a little Italian seasoning, garfava flour (Bob’s Red Mill), and apple cider vinegar. Gelatin and xantham gum are both used in this recipe – they help increase the elasticity of the dough and give structure to the crust once baked.
- This gluten-free pizza recipe from Jamie Oliver is simple and classic. The result is a deliciously crisp and thin crust. Milk, a whole egg, and apple cider vinegar are also used. As one reviewer said, “It’s so nice to find another gluten-free recipe that we can all enjoy”!
- Simply Quinoa created a fantastic, healthy gluten-free pizza recipe with quinoa flakes in it. Quinoa has been called a superfood because of its nutritional superiority – it is a complete protein, high in fiber and contains all nine essential amino acids, as well as a number of vitamins and minerals.
- This recipe is also from Simply Quinoa but takes the gluten-free pizza crust to a different level by making it into a batter which is then poured into a cake pan for pre-baking.
- My mouth is watering just thinking about this recipe from Faithfully Gluten Free. The crust recipe looks fantastic, but the Philly Cheese Steak topping? Whoa, that is a whole new pizza game baby! Bring it on!
- Last but not least, I’m including a gluten-free pizza recipe from Robin Hood. I have seen their gluten-free flour in many grocery stores so it appears to be easy to find. Their pizza recipe is deliciously simple!
The Top 11 Best Tasting Gluten-Free Pizza and Pizza Crust Recipes was last modified: September 30th, 2019 by Pete
