Tuesday, April 9, 2013

cauliflower pizza crust (grain/gluten/egg/dairy/soy free)


Yes, what you see right there is cauliflower pizza crust.
I didn't even think it was possible.
But it is.
And it's amazing.

However, this pizza crust is not like the other ones you see parading around Pinterest.
You see, this pizza crust isn't loaded with cheese and eggs.
It's actually the tastiest pizza crust I have ever tasted.
(And the healthiest I have ever made for that matter.)
And I love pizza, so that's saying a lot.



I found this recipe on a blog called Real Sustenance.
Let me tell you, that girl knows her stuff.
And after trying this cauliflower pizza crust, I cannot wait to try more of her recipes.
I loved what she said about cauliflower pizza crust in general:

So lets be real. The cauliflower pizza crust that has been trending like crazy.. is gross. OK, so its edible and it has the flavor of pizza..but its texture? blah. It tastes like soggy cheese. I made it today and I even tried all the fancy tricks like straining all of the liquid from the cauliflower in a cheesecloth. Still just blah.  We can do better.

That is when her "revamped and better than ever cauliflower pizza crust" came about.
And thank goodness it did.
Oh, and just so you know...my husband LOVED this pizza crust.
Yes, it's really that good.






Better than Ever Cauliflower Pizza Crust


1  cup of cooked cauliflower “rice” (see directions below)
2 packed cups of blanched almond flour (see substitution notes below)
6 1/2  Tbs starch (Potato Starch, Tapioca or Arrowroot)
3 Tbs Whole Psyllium Husk OR Flax Meal (crust will be crispier using flax)
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
3/4 Tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1-2 Tsp. Basil (dried or fresh)
1 1/2  Tbs Oil or Melted Butter

  1. Make your cauliflower “rice”. Use roughly 1/2 of a small fresh cauliflower and break it up- and stick it into a food processor and process  until it resembles a very fine rice- or even the size of cous-cous if you are able. Place the cauliflower into a skillet and cook with 1 tsp of oil for roughly 6-7 minutes  and stir until soft.
  2. While the “rice” is cooking preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  3. Pour the cooked cauliflower rice into a bowl and add the remaining pizza crust ingredients. Stir and then kneed until really well mixed. The dough will be thick, hold together well and may be slightly sticky.
  4. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment, lightly oil your hands and  then place the dough on the parchment and form a 13 inch round ( 1/4- 1/2 inch thick)  pizza crust. (It does not have to be round- nor does it have to be exactly 13 inches wide. Shape it how you want!) If the dough sticks to your hands at any point- add a little bit more oil to them.
  5. Place the prepared crust into the oven and bake 22-23 minutes or until the edges start to get slightly golden.  Remove from oven- place on toppings of choice and then bake another 15-18 minutes until your cheese (if using) has melted and the edges of the crust have gained a nice color. The longer you bake- the crispier it will be.
Store in a sealed bag or container in the freezer or fridge.


Recipe Notes and Substitutions (PLEASE READ)
  • Instead of blanched almond flour you can try using  another homemade nut or seed flour. If you opt to make sunflower seed flour I recommend using only 1/2 Tsp. of Baking powder to prevent the pizza dough from turning green. (This is a natural reaction that can happen if those two ingredients are combined improperly.) To make your own Nut or Seed flour: simply run the nut or seed of your choice in a high powdered blender or coffee grinder until you have a super fine flour. (If the flour is course- the recipe might not work as well.)
  • Coconut flour or any of the starchy grain based flours will NOT work in place of the Almond flour in this recipe (This includes all gluten free flour mixes). Only use other Nut/Seed flours as an almond exchange.
  • If you can’t have straight starch you might try using chickpea flour, millet flour, rice flour or sorghum flour as an exchange for the 6 Tbs of starch that I call for. I have not tried doing this yet- but think it may work!
  • Don’t go TOO crazy adding a ton of sauce to your pizza. As this crust ages I noticed that it stars to soak up the liquid and lose a bit of its crispness. (I believe this is due to the fact that it contains cauliflower). Use sauce in moderation. 
  • PLEASE follow these guidelines if you would like the recipe to work! Making other changes will give you different results. Experiment at your own risk.





6 comments:

  1. This looks amazing! Who knew you could use cauliflower in pizza crust?! BRILLIANT I SAY!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Catherine. It is a brilliant idea, I was so glad that I found that girl's blog. The awesome thing is that the pizza crust tastes really good. Double whammy.

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  2. I think from now on you need to try your healthy recipes on me haha

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    Replies
    1. Haha...they are here whenever you need them! Maybe our hubbies and us should get together and do a healthy dinner date? :)

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  3. Wow this is what I need! I have this cauliflower in my fridge and needed to make something with it..so cool! Thanks!

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  4. This is a really good site post, i am delighted I came across it. I will be back down the track to check out other posts that
    wheat rice

    ReplyDelete

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