Pizza is a staple of food in the US, but because of wheat in the crust of the vast majority of pizza, most Celiacs have had to avoid one of tastiest and most convenient foods available. However, there are many gluten free pizza products available. Rebecca and I have tried many different types of gluten free Pizzas with varying success. This one from “Gallo Lea” we picked up at Earthfare yesterday. It turned out great! It was prepared differently from some of the other gluten free crusts we have tried. Below are the steps we used to prepare this pizza.
The package included the crust mix, sauce and a circular piece of wax paper. The paper was for a 12 inch pizza. This was something different than what we had seen the past. This can be used as a barrier from the pizza pans that have been using in past that might lead to inadvertently contaminating the crust from gluten.
Both Rebecca and I like meat and cheese on our pizza, so the toppings on our pizza’s do not vary that much. For this pizza, we topped it with fresh, grass fed ground beef, pre-cooked and simmered in the pizza sauce, organic shredded provolone and colby jack cheese and fresh yellow pepper. Here is how it was prepared:
I cooked 1 pound of organic, grass feed ground beef in coconut oil. I did this at low heat (2-4 on our stove dial) until all the meat was brown. I recommend cooking on low heat when cooking with oils, we have found it adds taste, and takes away from the greasy feeling you get after eating. We like cooking with coconut oil or grass fed better, we’ll do a separate blog on it.
I then drained the meat slightly of the left over oil, and combined the pizza sauce and spices including approximately 2 teaspoons of oregano, cinnamon and stevia. I like the sweet sauce, so cooking in coconut oil, stevia and cinnamon should be avoided if you don’t like this sweetness. As a concept, I like to add one or two things that are different every time I cook a repeating meal like this, it keeps it fun. Plus, if you like the change, you can continue to do it, if not, don’t repeat. This time it worked out for us, although Rebecca did not like the cinnamon. This then simmered on low, in this case for about 1 hour.
Following the directions on the package, I took a half cup of water in a glass measuring bowel, and microwaved it for 25 seconds, then added the crust mix. With a spoon, I stirred for the 50 specified strokes until I had a dough ball the size of my fist. I then covered the bowl, and let it sit in a warm area on our stove for 10 minutes. It did not rise much.
While the dough was rising, I cut 1 yellow bell pepper (sweeter than other peppers) and re-heated the pizza sauce and meat. We have a pizza sheet that has small holes in the bottom. I unfolded the wax paper included in the package. I took a spoonful of coconut oil, and heated in the microwave for 15 seconds. Coconut oil is solid in room temperature, so the microwaving is necessary for easier spreading. With the wax paper spread out on the pizza pan, I spread the oil over the wax paper in a thin layer, not too much.
The dough was then formed into a ball, and by hand, I spread it out on the way paper until it cover the whole thing. This took about 5 minutes; the dough had to be very thin in order to get the entire wax paper covered. Surprisingly, the dough did not tear. I did have coconut oil on my fingertips while spreading, so the dough did not stick to my fingers. In my past experiences with dough (both gluten and gluten free), spreading the dough is a messy process, this was not the case with this dough. I also rolled the edges of the dough to give it a pizza like end crust, and spread the remaining liquid coconut oil over those edges, as well as over the entire top of the pizza center. This is in hopes of making it a little extra crispy.
What I have found with the gluten free pizza crusts, it is very hard to get them crispy, so I do everything possible to make that happen. During the middle of rolling out the pizza dough, I pre-heated the oven to 450 degrees. In our oven, the burners are at the bottom, and I want them very hot when initially put the pizza in. I put the rack at its lowest, and without any toppings, I placed the pizza on the bottom rack. The oven had been pre-heating for approximately 5 minutes.
After 9 minutes on the lower rack, I took the pizza out. The crust and not risen much, but the bottom was crispy.. yes!. The toppings were then added; I used 75 percent of the meat and sauce, 75 percent of the bag of cheese, the entire pepper, and some grated Parmesan cheese. I put the pizza back into the oven on the top rack, and cooked for approximately 10 minutes. However, I was watching the top of the pizza to make sure the cheese was melting but not burning. For the last two minutes, I broiled the top of the pizza until I had just the right amount of melted cheese and was a little brown.
The result was a thin and crispy pizza (both on the bottom and the crust) with sweat sauce and just the right amount of cheese to make it almost impossible to put down. It was just the right amount for Rebecca and I, but we were both hungry and I ate the extra piece that Rebecca could not finish.
Enjoy!!! Aaron
The Trophy Husband
Ingredients needed:
- 1 pizza crust package http://www.gallolea.com/
- 1 Pound of grass fed ground beef (used 75 % of it for pizza)
- 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil (1 for cooking the beef, one for the pizza dough preparation)
- 1 package of organic shredded provolone and colby jack (used 75 % of it for pizza)
- 1 Yellow bell pepper
- Approximately 2 teaspoons of oregano, cinnamon and stevia
- Approximately 1 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
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