Your Gluten Free Recipes

One of the foods that gave me the most grief before I became gluten free was pizza. I would feel the effects for days. Thankfully, pizza dough is one of the first recipes my husband (who would eat pizza every night if he could) was able to create gluten free. Did you know you can bring in a gluten free crust to Pap Murphy's and they will put their toppings on it, so it can be just like the complete pizzas the sell? You do still need to check on their ingredients to make sure they are gluten free and MSG free - but WOW the possibilities are fantastic.

Here is a recipe for the pizza we had last night.  This one has a delicious white sauce.

Dough:

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1/2 C. white rice flour
1/2 C. brown rice flour
1/2 C. tapioca flour
1/4 C. potato starch
1/4 C. sorghum
1/2 tsp Xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp guar gum
1/2 TBSP baking powder
1/2 TBSP yeast
1 1/4 C. warm water


Sauce:

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3 TBSP butter
2 TBSP B.E. Nourished Gluten Free all purpose flour mix
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic salt
2 C. milk

Toppings:

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Mozzarella cheese
cooked chicken, diced
sun dried tomoatoes ( we used our own dried sun gold tomatoes, YUM)
spinach (fresh from our garden)

Directions:

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The above crust recipe makes a fantastic crust (or focaccia if you're so inclined) that is dry enough that it can be patted into place on the pizza pan. My husband prefers to add the milk a bit at a time, shooting for a crust that is 'dry enough to roll out' on a well (tapioca) floured surface.

1. Combine all dry ingredients (except yeast...) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or dough hook if you are like my husband) - and combine while prepping the milk and yeast mixture to ensure that the gums are dispersed throughout the flours.


2. Bring milk to 38 - 45 C (100 - 110 F), add yeast and allow to stand for 5 minutes to ensure that the yeast has 'bloomed'.


3. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and combine for 3 minutes on medium to allow gums to hydrate and begin 'binding' to starches. This will also 'loosen' the dough a bit if you are shooting for a slightly drier version by not adding all the milk mixture. The difference is not usually enough to worry about the yeast that doesn't get added at this point.


4. Oil the pizza stone or pan and scrape dough onto middle of surface. using the tips of your fingers (still oily from pan?!) to press dough into an even layer covering slightly more than out to the edges.


5. Proof dough in 180 C (350 F) oven for 5 minutes to prevent a 'wet\doughy' crust under the toppings.


6. While dough is proofing, melt butter in a small sauce pan, add flour mix (as you would for a 'regular' bechamel sauce. Allow to bubble for a minute and then whisk in the milk.


7. When sauce JUST begins to thicken, remove from heat and add cheese. Stir cheese and garlic into sauce and return pan to heat, stirring continuously until cheese JUST melts.


8. Remove crust from oven and top with sauce. Add toppings.


9. Raise oven temperature to 220 C (425 F) and bake pizza on top rack of oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is to your preferred 'crispness' ;)