Pizza Crust #2 (New & Improved)

(vegan, gluten-free)

I’ve been mucking about with my gluten-free pizza crust recipe for a couple years now, trying to improve its flavor, rise, and overall breadiness, while still maintaining a good crust structure that holds up after a couple days in the refrigerator. Also, I wanted to make it vegan, just in case I came upon a good melty chewy vegan cheese (the white whale of vegan cooking). My new recipe holds up even better than the previous recipe, and it has millet and sorghum flour to boot, which is nutritionally superior to rice flours.

When making this dough, don’t cut the mixing time short. I am convinced it is necessary to create a good final product. Also, although a baking stone is not absolutely necessary for making pizza, I highly recommend you raise your culinary game and buy one. Not only will it improve your pizza, but it will make you look like the kitchen connoisseur you know you are.

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cups millet flour
• ¾ cups sorghum flour
• ½ cup tapioca starch
• ¼ cup potato starch
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons soy milk powder
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons psyllium powder
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place pizza stone in oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Whisk together millet flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, sugar, and soy milk powder.
3. In separate bowl, mix together ½ cup of dry mix of flours, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon of yeast, and ½ cup water. Let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes until bubbles form.
4. In separate bowl, mix together psyllium and 1½ cups water. Let thicken for at least 5 minutes.
5. Mix together dry mix, yeast mix, psyllium, olive oil, and salt in an electric mixer with a bread paddle attachment for at least 5 minutes. Dough should be fully mixed and slightly stretchy.
6. Divide dough into 4 balls, press each between two sheets of parchment paper, and roll out with rolling pin until crust is about 1/8 inch thick. To get a more even circle, first press the dough with a large flat cutting board, then roll with a rolling pin as needed.
7. Let crust rise for 30-45 minutes.
8. Parbake crust for 4 minutes. Remove from oven, top with sauce, cheese and toppings, and bake for another 6-7 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Makes 4×10-inch crusts.