I wish that I could tell you that the transition to a gluten free diet has been easy. That I have it all figured out. That I’ve got all the answers for those of you who ask me how to make the perfect GF sandwich bread without 147 flours. (And oh, and can it be low starch too?) I wish I could tell you that staying away from packaged gluten free foods can be easy, delicious and only take a little bit of your precious time.
But, that would be a gross overstatement.
In truth, I do feel like I”m starting to figure it out. I’m at a point where I’m getting a lot more wins in the kitchen than not. And luckily, the ratio of baked goods that end up feeding the birds has gone down dramatically in the last month.
Actually, as of late my frustration stems less from an inability to produce baked goods that the whole family will eat and more about finding the time to get it all done.
Especially on those days where the kids and I have at a tough day of school (Read: they’ve been fussy, whiny and not wanting to do their work and I’ve been inpatient, frustrated and feeling UN-appreciated) and a glass of wine is seeming a whole lot more attractive than the idea of an hour in the kitchen.
Oh wait. These are the same frustrations I had before I was eating gluten free.
Only now they’ve been amplified because I can’t simply pick up a loaf of bread and make panini’s or be a total slacker and serve Gardein products for dinner.
But I have found at least one solution that works for our family. This gluten free pizza dough not only tastes great, but the recipe makes 6-8 crusts and they keep in the fridge for 5 days or the freezer for 3 weeks. And trust me, I use ALL of the crusts within that time.
How? Because this crust is great for pizza, flat bread and EVEN cinnamon bites. (More on that later this week.) So whether it is a quick week night meal or a snack for your kids, this recipe has you covered!
Now, let’s cook up some gluten free yummy- ness shall we?
Start off by combining warm water with the flax seed meal (or ground flax seed). After it sits for 10 minutes or so it will become thicker, kind of like an egg.
In the bowl to your stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients.
Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add the flax egg. (You’ll need a bigger bowl than the one pictured. Trust me. I made a mess.) Mix all ingredients together in your stand mixture.
This is what your dough should look like before the rise!
Allow to rise for about two hours. You can then roll out your crust on parchment paper and top your pizza, or divide into 6-8 crusts and refrigerate for up to five days or freeze for up to three weeks. I’ve found that the crust is easier to manage when chilled.
One thing that you should realize is that this is a wet dough. It isn’t going to look like your typical gluten filled doughs. This is the primary reason that you should roll it out and start the cooking process on parchment. Don’t skip the parchment or you will likely be frustrated!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds + 6 tablespoons warm water (equivalent of 2 eggs)
- 2 cups brown rice flour
- 1 cup millet flour
- 1 cup quinoa flour
- 2 cups tapioca flour starch (I like 1 cup tapioca + 1 cup potato starch but either way works)
- 1 ½ cups cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons dry active yeast
- 1 ½ tablespoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoons xanthan gum
- 3 ¼ cups lukewarm water
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sweetener of choice (i.e. sugar, agave, malt powder…)
Instructions
- Combine flax seeds with warm water and set aside.
- In a large bowl (I use my stand mixer) combine flours, cornmeal, yeast, salt and xanthan gum.
- In a separate bowl combine liquid ingredients with the flax egg and sweetener. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon or heavy duty stand mixer. (If you aren’t using a machine you may need to use your hands.)
- Cover with a cloth and allow to sit in a warm spot for 2 hours.
- The dough can be used immediately, though I’ve found it is much easier to deal with cold. Refrigerated for 5 days or freeze for up to three weeks. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight prior to using.
- When you are ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and roll out on a parchment lined pizza peel (the back of a large cookie sheet works too). The dough is going to be moist and not have the pliability that a wheat crust would have. Add a little flour if you need to keep it from sticking to your rolling pin and roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Top with your favorite toppings. Transfer parchment paper to a pizza stone and cook for 10 minutes. Carefully slide parchment out from under crust. Cook for another 15 – 20 minutes, watching carefully towards the end.
Notes
Carbohydrates 28.6g, Protein 2.6g, Cholesterol 0, Sodium 282, Fiber 2.6 g, Sugars 1.5g
Makes approximately 8 ½ pound pizza dough’s, which makes about a 12 inch pizza. I like to make my pizzas a little bigger, so I make it into 6 pizzas.
Recipe adapted from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day
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