Sunday, June 15, 2014

PIZZA! Gluten/Grain Free

Who doesn't LOVE pizza?!  I think having an easy, super tasty pizza recipe is a must.  This. Is. It.  We tried a cauliflower crust, a crust with flax seed, and a couple other recipes before stumbling across this one by The Domestic Man.  We loved this one so much we haven't tried any others.  The first time we made it we followed the recipe.  We have made it almost weekly since then and have adapted it bit.  We have made it for non-primal friends and family and it has been a hit every time.  Here is our version of it (updated 10/26/14 & 2/26/16):

Ingredients for the crust which makes 2 pizzas:

  • 1 3/4 cups tapioca flour/starch
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup full fat greek yogurt (we have also tried and liked it with full fat canned coconut milk and raw milk)
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 3 pinches baking soda
  • 1 cup (fairly packed down) grated pecorino romano cheese or other hard cheese (we used to use parmesan per the original recipe and would grate it ourselves as usually the already grated has other ingredients like cellulose, but we found pecorino romano which is made from sheep's milk and almost always grass fed plus oddly it's cheaper)
  • Seasonings - we use salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano (my husband doesn't measure just adds what looks good, but the original recipe calls for 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, & pinch of white pepper)
Instructions:
  • Preheat oven to 460F
  • Loosely mix the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with a spatula 
  • Heat in a small sauce pan the water, yogurt, and butter and frequently stir until it just barely starts to bubble
  • Add the heated water/yogurt/butter mix to the dry ingredients and mix as best you can with a spatula
  • Add the beaten egg and mix as best you can with a spatula then switch to using your hands to mix well
  • Using your hands, divide the mixture in half and form into balls.  We've noticed the dough comes out a little different every time we make it.  If the mix is too sticky, add some more flour. If the mix is too wet, you can either add more flour or give it some time to sit and absorb before deciding to add more flour.  If the mix is too dry, add a little water.  
  • Pat out the two dough balls on two separate cast iron pans into your desired pizza crust shape.  We use a 10 inch round skillet and pat it out to the edges as well as a 12 inch square griddle and pat it out round and fairly thin.  We like having the variety of crust thickness.
  • Place both pans in the oven, on separate shelves, and put them (as best you can) on opposite sides of the oven so one isn't directly under the other.
  • Bake until the crust just barely starts to brown.  We don't have an exact time, so just keep an eye on it.  The original recipe says 6 minutes. It might bubble up and that's OK.
  • Remove from the oven, but leave it on.  Add your desired sauces and toppings.  We usually do a very light layer of pizza sauce, then thinly sliced tomatoes, then diced sweet onions, and topped with shredded mozzarella cheese.  We've also used pepperoni (when in the states with access to Applegate Farms' pepperoni), pineapple, plain ground beef, and taco spiced ground beef.
  • Return to the oven and bake until your cheese is at your desired doneness.  For us it's until it's melted and just slightly starts to brown.  Just don't bake it too long or your crust will get too hard/crunchy.
  • Remove from the oven, transfer pizza to a cutting board, slice, and enjoy.  Be careful to let it cool a little so you don't char your taste-buds!