I like to pre-bake pizza crust, especially a bunch of individual-sized ones, which is a size perfect for hubby and I to share on Sunday night - which is homemade pizza night. I made 3 gluten-free crusts Sunday using 2-cups of cooked quinoa.

Remove from the pan when the crusts are lightly browned and place on a cooling rack. When cool, wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and stack them on a round of cardboard (or an empty individual-size pizza pan), and wrap the stack again + the cardboard or pizza pan, with plastic wrap or slip them in a large freezer bag. I've done the same thing with 12" pizza crusts to have them ahead in the freezer.

I make the sauce using tomato powder (The Spice House). I use 1 T. of tomato powder for a 12-inch pizza and 1 t. for an individual-size (8-inch) pizza - plus enough water to make the thickness you like. Add a pinch of salt, sweetener (optional), "shot" of vinegar, and Italian or Pizza Spices, to taste.

-Grainlady

I hadn't thought of pre-baking... and I hadn't thought of quinoa crusts either! Excellent grainlady, thank you:)
Makes me wonder if cauliflower crusts would work too.

I make my own tomato powder, but hadn't thought of using it for this purpose either.

Here's the Quinoa Crust recipe (link below). I haven't tried cauliflower crusts, but I know recipes for them exist. I've made a crust with crushed Pork Rinds, and I also make a quickie pizza on corn tortillas. They are ready in 5-6 minutes.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Gluten-Free Pepperoni Pizza

An advantage that a pre-baked (mostly baked--not brown yet) crust is that it's a lot easier to thaw, especially if you want a quickie pizza. I'm guessing that a stretched crust, unbaked, would more easily get freezer burn than a ball, having more exposed surface. The ball has to be defrosted in the fridge, though, to be nice, and usually done yesterday.

Grainlady, thanks for the quinoa recipe!! I love that it has some protein and it sounds tastier than most of the gluten free recipes I've read.

Question: What is "flavored" quinoa? Is that just quinoa that comes with herbs in it? Or is it pre-prepared? I can make the two cups of quinoa suggested, but I'm trying to figure out what I'm aiming for it to be like. Thanks!

Edited to insert a comma to clarify that it's the stretched pizza that has more exposed surface!

This post was edited by plllog on Wed, Jan 7, 15 at 13:32

I prefer to freeze my pizza dough in a ball, then thaw in the fridge, stretch out and top before baking. I've never experienced freezer burn or the dough drying out using this method.

My dough recipe is from BeckyCA on the Recipe Exchange forum; it makes two large crusts, but I usually divide the dough into 3 portions, bake one and freeze the other two.

Artisan Pizza Dough
from Pizza on the Grill by Bob Blumer and Elizabeth Karmel

makes 2 12-14-inch crusts
3 cups bread or a-p flour
1/2 t instant yeast
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
2 TB olive oil

1.Whisk flour, yeast and salt; pour in milk and oil.
2.Mix with a fork; knead 1-2 times to form a ball; oil a bowl, put dough in, cover with wax paper, then a clean linen towel.
3.let rise 24 hours.
4.3 hours before making pizza, turn dough over.
5.divide dough in half to make 2 12-14-inch crusts (or in 3 portions to make 3 10-12-inch crusts
6.top with sauce, cheese, toppings.
7.bake at 450F until crust is done and cheese melted.

plllog-

The recipe mentions using "Roland Mediterranean Quinoa" - $4 for 5.46 oz. package (I've never heard of it, and it's definitely NOT affordable on my frugal budget! I just used organic quinoa I purchase in the bulk bins).

There is an additional note to use 2 cups of cooked quinoa as a substitute (which is what I used). Continuing the information from the recipe - for a different flavor twist, try one of Roland's other flavors, like onion & chive, garlic or sun-dried tomato.

It's more of a thick batter and nothing like stretchy pizza dough, which is typical for all the g-f pizza dough products/recipes I've used. Once you plop it on the pizza pan and form it in a "round" in the middle of the pan, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap in order to pat it into the pan. When done, peel the sheet of plastic wrap off when ready to bake.

I've made this recipe several times now, and after following the recipe the first time, I altered it to suit our taste. I par-bake it enough to release it from the pizza pan and transfer it to one of my REMA Bakeware pans, which has holes in it, and bake the crust ONLY longer than what the recipe calls for. When it's crispy, then we add the toppings and bake until toppings are heated through and cheese melts.

We like crispy pizza crust, and it works best to finish baking the crust on the REMA pan. There is a lot of moisture in the crust, and it is too "limp" for our taste, especially the longer it rests on the pizza pan after it's removed from the oven. We reheat it on a baking rack to prevent it from getting soggy.

The baked crust has a similar sensation of a traditional thin-crust made with wheat flour. You'd never guess there is cooked quinoa as the base ingredient. [NOTE: I make sure I thoroughly rinse the quinoa before cooking it so I don't have any bitterness from any residual saponin.] The flavor of the baked crust is mainly from the Italian or Pizza spices you add to the mixture, along with whatever sauce and toppings you use.

-Grainlady

Grainlady, thanks so much for the notes! Since I only make gluten free for others, and on an occasional basis, I'm very glad to have all your experience ideas.

I can definitely see that crispy would be better with GF, and love the idea that it tastes like pizza crust. :) I'm definitely going to give it a try.

I don't have the bakeware with holes, but do have a pizza screen like one uses on a barbecue. Do you think that would work? Or would the holes be too big for it to hold structure?

Man, everyone is giving such good suggestions!

Grainlady, I don't have a pizza pan- you think a cake pan would work? I got some rounds and squares I could use.

plllog and BeesNeeds

plllog-

I bet the pizza screen would work. Once the crust is par-baked and can be removed from the original flat pan, it holds together pretty well. ALTHOUGH.... I believe 12 to 13-inch pizza is about as large as you would want to make the crust if you are going to move it to another pan. Use a long, thin fish spatula (or other thin tool) to gently loosen the crust on the pan before moving it. When I make a 10-inch pizza, I just place the holey pan over the top of the pizza and quickly flip the whole thing. Same for 8" individual-sized crusts. I spray the pans with Bakers & Chefs Cooking Spray (available at Amazon.com).

BeesNeeds-

If you have a rimless or rimmed cookie sheet, that would work to pat the dough out (one large crust, or several smaller ones (as needed). And it doesn't matter what shape they are - round, square, rectangle.

It would probably work in cake pans, but not as well because of the deep sides of the pan. They may get too "bready", but I'm just guessing since I use rimless pizza pans. You'll have to try it and let us know how it worked.

You can turn the pans upside down and bake the crust on the bottom of the pans, creating a rimless surface. In that case, a 9x13-inch cake pan bottom would work fairly well. Necessity being the Mother of invention ;-).

You probably can find a pizza pan at the Dollar Store, 99-Cent Store, Dollar Tree.... Even an aluminum foil one would work. I'm sure something you have will work.

-Grainlady

Thanks, Grainlady!

BeesNeeds, let me know if you want a whole wheat pizza recipe. Mine is pretty individual, but it's based off a more general recipe (and you can have both). Making pizza at home has spoiled me for even fancy pizza out.

My favorite topping is chopped broccolini and onion, sauteed over lowish heat until onion is going transparent and broccolini is bright green and still firm, with EVOO and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, finished with crush hot chili pepper (the kind that gets sprinkled on pizza). YUM! Just that and a bit of shredded four cheese over a smear of tomato sauce. Go wild with some freshly ground black pepper and a finishing drizzle of EVOO (if it's very fresh and fruity), but still great without it.

Sure pillog, it would be lovely of you to share your recipe :)

The recipe I based mine on is from Red Apple Guy on Food.com. It's a good recipe, and quite successful with commercial flour. I made it with King Arthur whole wheat (once, at least, with the Organic white whole wheat, and also with the regular red whole wheat). Both are regularized at 14% protein.

My recipe starts with milling the flour (thanks, Grainlady). This makes a difference in the taste. It doesn't have the bitterness of the degrading oils that occurs after it's made into flour. A good alternative is if, like Ann T., you have a local artisan mill from which you can buy good fresh flour. The wheat I use has been tested for a general protein level of 14%. When I used the weaker, locally available wheat, it was too weak.

Whole Wheat PizzaMill flour:
⢠204 grams hard white wheat
⢠135 grams hard red wheat

Add to mixer bowl with:
⢠22 grams barley malt powder
⢠Pinch or scant 1/8th tsp ascorbic acid (vitamin C crystals)
⢠7 grams dry salt (any kind) (heaping tsp.)
⢠scant 2 grams active dry yeast (heaping 1/2 tsp.)
⢠241 grams water
⢠22 grams olive oil (I use EVOO for the flavor, and it seems to be well enough shielded by the dough not to go weird at the high heat)

Mix with Danish dough whisk or flat wooden spoon and let rest for about five minutes. Knead with dough hook for about five minutes.

Transfer dough ball to baking surface (silicone mat, lightly oiled is good), and cut into usable portions. This recipe makes one really big pizza, two medium, or four individual. An individual portion is about 152 grams.

Spray sandwich ziplocs with oil and put each portion in one, or the whole thing in a larger bag. Put all the bags in a gallon bag.

Chill (hydrate) for at least 24 hours.

Remove dough from fridge and turn out onto oiled thin aluminum pizza pan when you preheat the oven with baking stone to 500ð F. Shape the dough into a round, using gravity, as usual, but don't overwork or use your knuckles--keep it from tearing. Let it rest for about half an hour. After it has relaxed a little, you can adjust the shape.

Add toppings. Bake for 9 minutes, or whatever is appropriate for your oven.

Notes: I use a thin pan because the wetness of the dough makes it not slide well. The pan works fine on the stone. Your oven and stone may be different--you may need to adjust the temperature and/or time.

I haven't frozen this in balls since I perfected the recipe, but I don't know why it wouldn't work. Freeze immediately if you're going to freeze, and move to fridge a couple days ahead so it can thaw and the yeast can get to work. Freezing baked is a good idea.

This dough is good for four days in the fridge. Day one is a little underdeveloped. Day two is ideal. Day three is a bit less so. Day four is flatter and crisper. After that, the...