Pizza Crust (GF)
http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/against-the-grain-gluten-free-pizza-shell/
When we first made the Against the Grain Original Roll Copycat recipe, I was mostly thinking, hey, this is really simple gluten free bread and it’s crazy overpriced. I had only just tried their rolls myself for the first time a few days before. But my family loves those rolls. So I figured it was time to save a few bucks on the Against the Grain Gluten Free Pizza Shell. And now I think I’m the one who’s in love. This stuff is GOOD. Even cold. For breakfast. Don’t tell my husband.
Now it’s not like this is the sort of pizza that would have made me give up the sort of dreams of authentic-tasting gluten-free pizza that led to Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread or anything. No way no how. But this gluten free pizza is its own, delicious thing.
It’s intensely cheesy, which certainly doesn’t hurt, with a pleasantly more complex flavor, too (thank you, Parmigiano-Reggiano and sharp white cheddar cheeses).
Three cheeses baked right into the crust, and a different moisture balance make this dough soft and supple, even. The original rolls really benefit from having the dough chilled in the freezer for a few minutes before shaping them. It makes that dough so much easier to handle. But this dough has a difference moisture balance, and doesn’t seem to need the chilling. If you find that yours is a little tough to handle, even with tapioca-floured hands, do freeze the dough for about 10 minutes, though.
It even rolls out easily, and won’t break at all as you shape it. Instead of wet hands, use well-floured hands. And do pay extra attention to the brand of tapioca flour you use. They are absolutely not all created equal (details below in the recipe itself). Oh, and the dough freezes really well, too, making this a great quick and easy meal for a hurried weeknight. Not that you ever have those or anything. ;)
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Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Yield: 2 12-inch pizza shells
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups (10 fluid ounces) reduced fat (not nonfat) milk
2 1/2 cups (300 g) tapioca starch/flour, plus more for sprinkling*
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons (42 g) canola oil
2 eggs (120 g, out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
5 ounces low moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
Extra virgin olive oil for brushing the top of the pizza dough before baking
Toppings (sauce, cheese, etc. as desired)
*Do not use the tapioca flour from your Asian food store. It is likely poor quality and will not behave properly at all. I recommend tapioca flour from nuts.com or authenticfoods.com only.
Directions
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Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place a pizza stone in the oven as it heats. If you don't have a pizza stone, use a overturned rimmed baking sheet.
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In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. As soon as the milk begins to simmer, turn off the heat and add the tapioca flour and salt, and then the oil. Mix to combine. The mixture will look curdled and will be difficult to bring together. Transfer it to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse a few times to smooth out the dough. Add the eggs in two parts, and pulse until the egg is incorporated into the dough. Once the eggs have been added, turn the machine on and allow it to work until the dough is smooth (2 to 3 minutes). It will be very thick and stretchy. Add the shredded cheese, and pulse to combine. If necessary, knead the dough with tapioca-floured hands to incorporate all of the cheese.
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Sprinkle some tapioca flour on a piece of unbleached parchment paper, and scrape the dough onto it. Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with more tapioca flour, and knead with floured hands until smooth. With a bench scraper, divide the dough in half and shape each half into a round. The dough should already be relatively easy to handle. If it is not, cover with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
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On a 14 inch square piece of parchment paper, flour the top of the first piece of dough and, using a rolling pin, roll into a 12 inch round, rolling it thinner toward the center and thicker along the edge to create a crust. Brush the top of the shell generously with olive oil and cover with sauce and cheese. Place the pizza, still on the parchment, on top of the pizza stone or overturned baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly golden brown and feels slightly crispy to the touch.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool briefly before slicing and serving. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough. The dough can be made ahead of time, wrapped tightly and frozen until ready to use.
Love,
Me
P.S. If you haven't yet, please pick up a copy of Gluten Free on a Shoestring Quick & Easy! There are 100 more well-tested gluten free recipes in it, and I really appreciate your support!
