We played with several recipes for a gluten-free pizza crust and then tried one from a good resource in the baking world: King Arthur Flour. Here’s our variation of their recipe, and a tip of the chef’s hat to King Arthur. We recommend it thanks to its excellent flavor and texture and ease of preparation.
When putting together Moosewood’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix for this recipe, make enough for 2 cups. You’ll need ⅔ cup for proofing the yeast and another cup for the dough.
Yields one 12-inch pizza crust
Hands-on time for prepping the yeast mixture: 5 minutes
Yeast activating time: 30 minutes
Hands-on time for prepping the dough: 8 minutes
Dough rising time: 30 minutes
Hands-on time for shaping the crust: 8 minutes
Pizza crust resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 8 to 10 minutes for initial baking; additional 10 to 12 minutes for topped pizza
Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
1⅔ cups Moosewood’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
1½ teaspoons instant or fast-acting yeast*
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water (ideally between 100°F and 115°F)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ teaspoon salt
*This is less than a full packet, so it’s important to measure.
In a small bowl, mix together ⅔ cup of the gluten-free baking mix, the yeast, sugar, water, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Set aside to rest for about 30 minutes, or until bubbling. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup baking mix, the baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
When the yeast mixture is ready, add it to the dry ingredients and mix with an electric mixer until very well blended, 4 to 5 minutes. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on a baking sheet to cover a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
To shape the pizza crust: Using a flexible spatula, turn the dough onto the baking sheet and use your moistened fingertips to spread it to a 12-inch circle (see Note). Let the crust rest for 15 minutes. This time plus the initial baking period is a good interval to get the toppings together.
Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes until just set and firm. To finish the pizza, add toppings and bake for 10 to 12 minutes more, until the crust is lightly browned and the topping is nicely cooked.
NOTE: Try to make the thickness of the crust as uniform as possible. This is a sticky dough and it requires some patience to press it out evenly. Because it doesn’t have the elasticity of a gluten dough, it breaks, and so it is important to push together the dough to repair the splits. Don’t make the crust thicker around the outside edges than in the center, because when the center is topped with wet ingredients, it won’t crisp as well as the uncovered edges of the pizza, and it’s more likely to stick to the pan and may break when you serve the pizza.