I love pizza. Any kind of pizza. And I’m the kind of pizza lover who loves the pizza crust just as much as the pizza toppings. The crust is the main carrier for the toppings and is a very important part of the pizza in my opinion. You can have a thin and flexible crust, a flat and hard crust, or a stuffed crust. However, I think a good old fluffy, soft, yeasty pizza crust is what makes the ultimate traditional pizza crust. And this gluten-free fluffy pizza crust recipe was made with that in mind! I love whipping up a batch of this gluten-free pizza crust for Friday night pizza and enjoying a warm slice of pizza with a soft crust and melty cheese on top…. my mouth is watering!
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Modern Pioneer Recipe
As much as I’d like to call pizza a pioneer food, I do believe that pizza is more along the modern pioneer lines when it comes to heritage recipes. Nonetheless, pizza can easily be turned into a healthy and nutritious modern pioneer recipe!
First off, making the pizza crust from scratch is one step closer to baking and meal prepping like a modern pioneer. Instead of pulling out a frozen crust from the freezer or ordering out a pizza, this gluten-free pizza crust is the perfect recipe to whip up from scratch to enjoy a homemade pizza on the homestead! It is made with simple, wholesome ingredients that are also allergy-friendly!
This homemade pizza crust is….
- gluten-free
- grain-free
- nut free
- dairy-free
- corn free
- refined sugar free
But it’s not just the crust that makes this pizza crust a modern pioneer recipe. You must also consider your favorite pizza toppings! Now I know that pizza toppings vary greatly, but there are some modern pioneer choices can keep in mind when choosing toppings for your gluten-free pizza crust:
Modern Pioneer Pizza Topping Guide:
- Pizza Sauce– Try home-canning your own pizza sauce or make sure you only buy organic, gluten-free pizza sauce with no added sugar.
- Cheese– Try making your own homemade cheese if you have a dairy animal on the homestead, or stick to raw, sharp cheeses that are made from pasture-raised animals. If you are dairy-free (like us!), use dairy-free cheese brands that contain clean, simple ingredients and are organic and gluten-free.
- Meats– Some favorite meat toppings for pizza may include pepperoni, sausage, or ham. Make sure you are buying gluten-free, non-GMO meats that ideally have been pasture-raised.
- Vegetables- Veggies like arugula, mushrooms, and spinach can also make for unique pizza toppings. Make sure they are organic!
- Other Toppings– Mushrooms, olives, pineapple…. the list goes on for pizza toppings! Just make sure you are sourcing your ingredients from sustainable sources and that they are organic and gluten-free!
Tips for Working with Grain-free Dough
I love playing with dough! A good soft, workable dough is a joy to bake with! When it comes to grain-free and gluten-free baking, working with those kinds of doughs can be kind of intimidating when first starting off. Since I have never really worked with gluten-based dough, I don’t really have a comparison. However, I have learned a lot since experimenting with different recipes and using differing grain-free flours in my baking on the homestead.
Tip #1. Different flours, different doughs.
My first tip would be to consider what flours you are using. Every gluten-free or grain-free flour will create a different dough. Since we try to stick to a grain-free diet on our homestead, I have worked mostly with grain-free flours such as cassava flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour.
When it comes to creating a soft, workable dough, cassava flour creates a dough that is the easiest to work with. It behaves more like a traditional gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour. Tapioca flour tends to make a stiff dough that sometimes will bake into a stretchy, soft texture, which is good for certain recipes. Coconut flour tends to make a dry dough and has a predominant flavor in the end product.
Cassava flour is my favorite flour to work with for making a gluten-free and grain-free dough that is easy to work with and versatile for many baking projects!
To experiment with other kinds of dough, check out these artisan bread rolls (that use both cassava flour and tapioca flour) or these grain-free cheese rolls (made with just tapioca flour).
Tip #2. Too moist, or too dry?
All-purpose flour blends and even most gluten-free flour blends are pretty cut and dry when it comes to making a recipe. However, with grain-free flours, getting the right dough-like consistency can be a little trickier if you don’t know some helpful tips and tricks.
When working with cassava flour, you have to learn how it behaves with other ingredients, like water and oil. Cassava flour is an absorbent flour, so adding water will help moisten the dough without creating a sticky batter. Oil helps keep a cassava flour dough soft and workable.
If you are making up your cassava flour dough and you find that it is too sticky and moist, just sprinkle in some more cassava flour a little bit at a time until the dough forms into a ball that can be easily handled. However, you don’t want to add too much flour that will make the dough dry. You should be able to handle the cassava flour dough when it is a little moist without it sticking to your hands.
If your cassava flour dough is too dry, just add a little more warm water or a splash of olive oil. Add the moisture a little bit at a time until the dough is soft and workable. It shouldn’t crumble in your hands and you should be able to knead it without it falling apart.
Tip #3. Yeast or no yeast?
Yeast is a fungus. When it comes to determining if yeast is healthy to use in grain-free and gluten-free baking, you have to look at what context it is used in. Consuming too much yeast can lead to a yeast imbalance in your body, which leads to health issues. However, when consumed in moderation, yeast is perfectly safe and can even be beneficial.
I don’t use yeast in a lot of my gluten-free and grain-free baked goods. Instead, I use baking powder or baking soda to get the rise that is usually provided with yeast. But I do love the taste of a yeasty bread product, so baking with yeast on occasion is something I enjoy doing!
When using yeast in gluten-free and grain-free baked goods, you have to keep in mind that you are still not working with the structure provided by traditional gluten-based flours. The yeast will still produce a rise and a yeasty flavor, but it won’t be the same as traditional gluten-based baking.
Either way, I have successfully made multiple grain-free and gluten-free recipes using either active dry yeast or baking powder with good results each time.
For a yeast-free pizza crust, make sure you check out this grain-free pizza crust recipe that I also love making!
Recipe Questions
Can I use a substitute for cassava flour?
I have not tried this recipe with any other flour substitutes. If you are looking for a recipe that doesn’t use just cassava flour, then you may want to check out this yeast-free pizza crust recipe that is just as fluffy and delicious!
I do want to mention that the brand of cassava flour you use can play a role in the consistency of your dough. I use Otto’s Naturals organic cassava flour which produces reliable results every time I use it in my baking projects. Other brands of cassava flour may be more absorbent or behave slightly differently in this recipe.
Can I use an oil substitute for olive oil?
You can use any liquid oil substitute instead of olive oil in this recipe! Melted butter, melted coconut oil, or avocado oil should all work fine for this gluten-free pizza crust. I like to use olive oil because it has a mild flavor and it makes for a soft, smooth dough. It is also dairy-free. Make sure you only use organic, extra-virgin olive oil!
Will quick yeast work just as well as active dry yeast?
I have not tried making this crust with quick yeast, but I have used quick yeast in other gluten-free and grain-free recipes with just as good success as active dry yeast. While quick yeast doesn’t technically have to be proofed, I would still recommend letting it proof prior to adding it to the dough. You can proof quick yeast the same way you would active dry yeast, however, you need to heat the water up to 120-130°F for proofing quick yeast.
Are you a yeast lover like I am? Then you will definitely want to check out these gluten-free cinnamon rolls… they are the epitome of a soft, yeasty, sweet cinnamon roll!
How do I know when my yeast is proofed?
Getting a good proof on your yeast is not hard! The key is making sure you heat the water to the ideal temperature for proofing the yeast. Use a candy thermometer or a digital meat thermometer to test the temperature of the water before adding the yeast.
I find it helpful to just use warm tap water, which I then adjust until I am getting water that reads 100-110°F. Sprinkle in the yeast and gently stir it into the water. Then let the bowl of yeasty water rest in a warm location (I like using my stovetop) as the yeast proofs.
A well-proofed yeast will rise into a bubbly, frothy layer on top of the water. The higher the froth, the better the proof! Proofing the yeast may take between 5-20 minutes depending on the warmth of the location where it is proofing.
Can I make this pizza crust egg free?
I have not tried making this pizza crust egg free. The eggs give the dough some structure, add moisture to the dough, and make it easy to handle.
Do I have to bake the pizza at a high temperature?
While I don’t generally like baking at high temperatures because of the energy that is needed to heat my oven up to such high temperatures, I do make an exception for this pizza crust that I make on special occasions.
If you know anything about making perfect pizza crusts, you know that high and hot temperatures are necessary. There’s something about that quick blast of heat that makes for a fluffy crust that is not under-cooked but not baked brittle either.
However, I have tried baking this pizza crust at too different temperatures with good results both times:
- 400°F: 30-35 minutes
- 525°F: 12-15 minutes
This gluten-free fluffy pizza crust is the perfect base for any of your favorite pizza toppings! My favorite way to top this crust is with organic pizza sauce, garlic salt, dairy-free cheese, and non-GMO pepperoni! It’s the perfect Friday night pizza on the homestead!
Gluten-free Fluffy Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups Otto's Naturals cassava flour fluffed w/ a fork before measuring
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large pasture-raised, organic eggs room temp.
- 3/4 cup + 2 T. warm water, divided
- 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 T. pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 T. coconut flour
- your favorite pizza toppings
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup and 1/4 cup of the warm water. The water should be 100-110°F. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and gently mix it in. Let the yeast proof for 5-20 minutes. It should form a frothy layer above the water.
- Preheat the oven to 525°F. Place your pizza stone in the oven as well.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and coconut flour.
- Once the yeast has proofed, add the yeast mixture, the eggs, olive oil, and the remaining 1/2 cup + 2 T. of warm water. Stir the dough until it forms a smooth dough. Use your hands to gently knead the dough into a smooth ball.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured piece of unbleached parchment paper. Press it out into the desired size pizza crust. Flatten the center out and leave the edges nicely rounded to mimic a traditional pizza crust.
- Add your desired pizza toppings to the crust!
- Carefully remove the pizza stone from the oven (it will be very hot!!). Gently lift up the parchment paper to move the pizza onto the pizza stone. Place both the parchment paper and pizza on the pizza stone. You don't need to slide the pizza off of the parchment paper.
- Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. The crust should be lightly browned. Depending on how thick your crust is will depend on how long it needs to bake.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to cool for a minute or two before slicing and serving! Enjoy!
- Note: If you don't want to bake the pizza at such a high temperature, you can alternatively bake the pizza at 400°F for 30-35 minutes.
Where to Find the Ingredients
- Otto’s Naturals cassava flour
- Pompeian organic extra virgin olive oil
- Anthony’s active dry yeast
- Redmond sea salt
- Nutiva coconut flour
- Supplies: unbleached parchment paper, pizza stone, digital meat thermometer
This gluten-free fluffy pizza crust has the perfect soft texture and mild, yeasty taste that rivals any traditional pizza crust! I don’t feel like I am missing out on anything when I enjoy a slice of pizza made with this simple, wholesome gluten-free pizza crust. It’s one of my favorite recipes to make Friday night pizza with on special occasions. The recipe turns out perfectly every time and is the perfect from-scratch pizza crust option for a modern pioneer pizza! Pizza night on the homestead never had it any better!
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by Alexa
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