When my dad had to give up wheat, there were a few things he really missed: his favorite spice cake, a good cinnamon raisin cookie, and pizza. To this day, he gets excited when he sees a restaurant in town that offers gluten-free pizza. Most of the time, however, he reports that he wouldn’t order the pizza again.
A year or two ago, I decided this was a challenge I needed to take on. I tried several different recipes and, not fully satisfied, tried my regular pizza crust recipe with the mix I use for baking. (Press HERE for that easy, mix-ahead recipe.) To his delight–and mine–the crusts turned out beautifully. They taste slightly different than the wheat version but they are really good. Grilling makes them crispy and light and they can be topped just like you would any pizza.
I have included a few tips in the notes below, including how I like to make the regular wheat-flour version. Another suggestion is to keep a light touch with the sauce. As grilled pizzas have thin crusts, too much sauce will cause them to lose their crispness.
Gluten-Free Grilled Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant (rapid rise) yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 cup warm water (plus an extra tablespoon or two, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Toppings, as desired
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- In a measuring cup, combine the water and olive oil.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the water and oil. Stir the flour into the wet ingredients, incorporating all the flour. Mix until dough forms a ball. Add an extra tablespoon or so of water, only if needed to moisten all the flour and bring the dough together.
- On a lightly-floured (with the gluten-free flour or cornmeal) surface, knead the dough for about a minute. Return to the bowl, cover, and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes, although I have found the dough becomes easier to work with if I let it sit for closer to 45-60 minutes. (At this point, you may refrigerate for up to a couple of days in an airtight container. Allow dough to sit 30 minutes at room temperature before proceeding.)
- Punch down the dough and portion into 6 equal-size portions. Carefully, stretch the rounds into the desired shape and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or sprinkled with cornmeal until ready to grill. (I have also rolled the rounds with a rolling pin.)
- Have grill cleaned and preheated to medium-high heat when ready to cook. Place prepared dough on grill and cook until marks form and turn to the other side. This doesn’t take long; I peek underneath and flip as soon as I see the dark grill marks.
- When dough is slightly crisp, remove pizzas from the grill and top as desired. You may put topped pizzas back on the grill over indirect heat to warm the toppings. I often prepare the pizza crusts in advance and finish off in a 425-degree oven for 3-4 minutes to melt the cheese.
Notes
- For a “regular” crust, you may substitute all-purpose flour or, our favorite combination, half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour.
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