Your Favorite Homemade Pizza Crust?

[kactuskandee]

I looked through all the pizza crust recipes listed on this site (but can't tell a good one just from reading it), then through at least 20 back pages of this forum and no one has said what their favorite, tried and true recipe is for a fabulous pizza crust. I don't want a rice or potato one, just one that tastes the closest to the real thing. The ones I've tried off the net so far yield something closely resembling sturdy shipping boxes.

A couple of you terrific gluten-free bakers I know must have found the secret and have some tips or modifications you might be willing to share. Please?

About every 4 months I get the urge for a really good pizza. I, of course end up making it myself and am highly disappointed. I eat it anyway..convincing myself not to let it go to waste and that next time will be different. Boy, I hope, at least in my lifetime that's true..........

For the most part, I do well, but this has me stumped..........

Please help,

It doesn't matter if it's thin or thick crust, just a good tasting crust...

Thanks,

Kandee

[angel-jd1]

I know this isn't "homemade", however if I am going to eat pizza, then darnit I am NOT spending all day in the kitchen making it.

I use amy's rice crust pizza, fry some hamburger, onions, and peppers. Top the amy's pizza with my toppings (pepparoni, mushrooms, hamburger mixture, more cheese) and bake in the oven.

I have tried some of the other crusts and this seems to be the best solution for me.

-Jessica

[celiac3270]

I love Chebe pizza....but with the crust made using the bread mix, which turns out better than using the actual "pizza crust" mix. It's just as good or even better heated up the next day, too.

[bklyn]

This is Carol Fenster's Pizza Crust:

I've made this 3 times and it tastes like the real thing, just be sure to put A LOT of brown rice flour on your hands because it is very sticky! Also, I double the receipe so it's enough for 3 or 4 servings.

1 tablespoon dry yeast

2/3 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons tapioca flour

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1/2 tsp. sale

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin powder (knox)

1 tsp. Italian seasongs

23 cup warm mile (110) degrees or non-dairy liquid

1/2 tsp. sugar or honey

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. cider vinegar

Extra rice flour for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In medium mixer bowl using regular beaters (not dough hook) add the yeast, flours, xanthan gum, salt, gelatin powder, and Italian seasonings on low speed. Add milk, sugar, oil and vinegar.

Beat on high speed for 2 min. (If the mixer bounces around the bowl, the dough is too stiff, add water if necessary, one tbls. at a time, until dough does not resist beaters) The dough will resemble soft bread dough.

Put mixture on lightly greased 12-in. pizza pan. Liberally sprinkle rice flour onto dough, then place dough into the pan, continuing to sprinkle dough with flour to prevent sticking to your hands. Make edges thicker to hold the toppings.

Bake for 10 min. Remove from oven. Top Crust with sauce and favorite toppings. Bake for another 20 min or until top is nicely browned.

[kactuskandee]

Jessica, I know EXACTLY what you mean about going to all that trouble to make pizza crust when you want a pizza NOW. I'll look into Amy's and see what all is in it. Soy I can't do..allergic-- but a little dairy is no problem. Only problem I have is a store that carrys Amy's is an hr and a half drive away..(sigh)

celiac3270, Will try the Chebe bread...but would have to order the mixes.. Someone posted a knock off recipe to Chebe bread and although I haven't tried it, I sent it to a gluten-free friend and she did and said it was fabulous. You just gave me an idea..make the bread and throw the pizza toppings on...that seems easy enough...ahhh, I'm assuming there is some pre-baking you do before adding the top stuff(?) Thanks.

bklyn, Thanks for taking the time to add Fenster's entire recipe..If you've made this 3 times and said it's good it must be. I'm assuming you could make it up and do the first baking, freeze it and take it out when you wanted to add the toppings and finish the baking process. I LIKE the idea of Italian seasonings in this. In fact I was looking at the foccocia (sp?) bread recipe on this site and thought that might work.

Well, looks like I have plenty of recommendations to get me started.(thanks)..wish me luck!

Kandee

[celiac3270]

You can order the mix from Open Original Shared Link -- no shipping charges, but if you buy in bulk, it's a lower price per-mix. I once saw a recipe for the Chebe, as well--but don't still have it. You follow instructions for making the bread as on the package, then try to spread the dough onto a pizza pan--it's sometimes hard to cover the whole thing since the dough can be hard to spread out--anyway, you do cook the crust first--then when it's mostly done, add the sauce and cheese.

[kactuskandee]

Thanks celiac3270 for the link. I see that as it is you have to order 8 pkg. as the minimum, but if it's as versatile as they say, it's worth it. I didn't realize it didn't come with cheese already in it. That makes it nice. One could add some Italian seasonings in a pizza crust.

I'm going to assume one pkg will make a small (12 inch) pizza crust but use 2 if you want a bigger one (?). And, of course, it all depends on if one likes a thick or thin crust.

LOL at your remark about "trying to spread the dough out"...that hard, huh? To bad we can't twirl it in the air and have it increase in size, like they do at an authentic pizzaria, but without the gluten elasticity it wouldn't work...(bet some have tried though)

What else have you made with Chebe?

Ever buy the frozen dough?

celiac3270, you are always so helpful....thanks again..

Kandee (still trying to figure out exactly what "malrotation" means, even after reading about your surgery--twisted? going the wrong way? what?).

[celiac3270]

Yes--the dough itself can get a little sticky and hard to spread out in the pizza pan. It's made with some sort of cheesy stuff in the mix, but if you make pizza, you'll need actual cheese on top -- Kraft makes a grated parmesean and a mozzarella.

Correct--it makes a thin crust pizza. I guess you could use two if you like it thick

I've only made the pizza, though you can make bread sticks or just little bread balls--there's a lot I haven't experimented with, but I have boxes of Chebe from a big order I made right before I cut out tomato sauce. Now that my problem is fixed and I realize that the acidity of the tomato sauce wasn't the cause of my problem, I'm eating Chebe again.

I haven't bought a frozen dough.

-celiac3270

P.S. With the malrotation, basically, my intestines should have rotated in a certain way while I was still a fetus--they didn't--and so the intestines weren't completely in place. Without being in a secure position, one part would twist over another causing severe abdominal pain and preventing food from getting through, resulting in vomiting (green vomit is a symptom of it and mine usually was). Hours later my intestines would untwist, but since they never rotated properly, they would do it again days later. In the surgery, the Ladds procedure, they sort of....stretched out the intestine so that it wouldn't be twisting over itself. I'll always have malrotated instestines, but it won't matter since they shouldn't twist anymore. It should have been found when I was a child but they missed it--and I was lucky that in fourteen years it never twisted around an artery or a vein, cutting off circulation--then it would've been extremely serious and they would've been removing organs and putting artificial objects into my body.

[jknnej]

I'm trying Nature's Hilights pizza crust tonight. I've had nothing but frustrations with making my own crust. I'd rather buy frozen. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[kactuskandee]

jknnej, I know what you mean about past failures. I got tired of them. What frozen bread dough are you using, the chebe?

celiac3270, thanks again. I never thought about the cheese on top needing to be gluten-free...(I just thought they all were)...so I guess using Kraft is always safe.

Now that you'll be able to have tomato sauce maybe you can get back to having pizza? My 15 year old grandson lives on the stuff.

I'm amazed you didn't have more problems over the years than you've had. You were very, very lucky....but I'm sorry you were so sick so much..not to mention the extreme pain you were in. Again, thanks for explaining what the malrotation of intestines meant. I'd never heard of it, but like everything within the human body, anything is possible. Thank goodness you had access to incredible doctors and a surgeon that could correct the problem...and I hope it IS permanently corrected. I would think you would know fairly quickly if there was a problem with the procedure by the recognizable pain. Let's hope that NEVER happens and you are on your way to a pain free long life............you deserve it!!

Kandee

[cdford]

Pizza crusts work better if you blind bake them (bake them without toppings for a few minutes). My 14 yr old has even taken hers to school functions to share and her friends enjoyed it. I use the recipe in Bette Hagman's gluten-free cookbooks. I adjust to use a mix of rice and the bean flours because I don't like the strong taste of just the bean flours.

[Carriefaith]

I buy Sterk's Italian Pizza Crust and make my own pizza at home. This pizza crust is really good! I buy it at a health food store.

Open Original Shared Link

[kactuskandee]

Well, I certainly have some options to try here. Chebe, Amy's, Fenster's homemade, Nature's Hilights, Hagmans with some bean flour, and Sterks (thanks for the link since I'd have to order it on line). I did order some Chebe (original) because I not only want to give it a try as a pizza crust, but also want to try the other things made with it.

Thanks everyone. Since these are all tried and true..well, except for the frozen Nature's Hilights (I'll be waiting to hear how it came out) I have plenty to keep me busy...

Donna, thanks for jumping in on this ..never heard the term "blind baking". I know you do a lot of gluten-free home baking and I trust your advise.

I finally got to try some Mochi today but only what flavors my health food store had..the garlic and the date..not bad.....I noticed in their recipe book they have a pizza flavor that is good for crusts. Anyone ever try it? (www.grainaissance.com) I'm tempted.

Thanks,

Kandee

[brdbntL]

celiac3270,

Thanks for the Chebe pizza crust idea. I found some at the local health food store so I wouldn't have to order so much before I tried it. I followed the directions and my 4 year old is happily eating Pizza. She told me this is much better than your other tries Mom. (I have tried many many recipes with no success) One question I have for you though, is it supposed to be a little chewy? I am assuming it is because I used mozzerella in the crust, since I cooked for the specified amount of time. I can't wait to start experimenting with it.

Thanks again celiac3270 for this post and all your other helpful and thoughtful posts! A very greatful Mom.

[celiac3270]

Yay! I'm so glad she liked it . It's a little chewy while it's hot--if it sits awhile, the crust starts to get a little harder...I think it actually tastes the most like "real" pizza if you heat it up the next day....I like it both ways, though. I've never put cheese in the crust, but that might make it a little chewier....

[kactuskandee]

Laura,

I ordered it so was anxious to try it right away when it got here, but I tried it making the balls (like tiny rolls) first. I added dried chives and some (but not all it called for) grated (really hard) good Italian Parmesan cheese (the kind you get in a block and grate yourself). They were awesome, and hubby, a non-gluten-free'r even loved them. They are better the next day, and even cold. I'm sooo anxious to try the pizza crust, as celiac3270 suggested but I may add just a little baking powder to make it rise more. I do agree with celiac3270 that this stuff is better the next day. I think I'll make up the crust and bake it the day before I want to eat it, then add the toppings the day I want it. (Blind baking, as Donna called it!)

BTW, it says to work with it for about 5 minutes, so you could have your 4 year old pretend it was silly putty and just knead it to her hearts content!

Kandee

[brdbntL]

My 4 year old bragged last night to her sister, who is six and was at school, I have my own pizza now. And it is good. I can't wait to try the other things it does. I think I might try hot dog rolls and I do want to try the little rolls like it calls for on the package.

Thanks again