Pizza Rehab: quest for a good gluten-free pizza
Doesn't it look SO good! I had many (yes, many; more than two, maybe four, or more...I forgot) of these last month, anticipating that my doctor was about to diagnose me with Celiac, meaning I could never eat gluten, or pan dish Papa John's pizza, again. I figured more was better to ensure my body was fully exposed to gluten prior to the remaining tests, identifying my body's reaction to gluten. So, this was probably my LAST pan crust Papa John's pizza. I usually get veggie pizzas, but if I go 'all out,' Italian sausage is probably my favorite. This sounds a bit sad, but it's not! I don't have the greatest will-power when it comes to food (I demolished all of this pizza that night and a slice or two of Troy's). So, unless Papa John's pizza two to six times per month is healthy, it's good that I have strict demands, as in I will decrease my life expectancy if I eat gluten, for a little more self-discipline. However, I must add that just because something is gluten free, it does not mean it is healthier than the gluten-containing version. It basically boils down to: less processed=healthier option and more processed=less healthy option. Gluten is just in a lot of processed foods, hence the reason a gluten-free diet can be healthier, but many gluten-free foods contain overly processed rice, corn and soy flours, sugar and syrups, among other ingredients that are just as bad, or worse, than foods with gluten. Gluten is simply one protein, among many in wheat, barley and rye, that hurts my body. So, my ultimate goal is to consume a diet of less processed foods, which would benefit us all.
Because Troy and I LOVE pizza, I'm on a mission to make a good gluten free pizza. I've tried a few and I'm still not quite satisfied, but I'm making progress and this is what I've gotten so far...
The pizza to the right was made with a cauliflower crust. The recipe I used to make it was a lot of work, and Troy and I agree the taste of it was not worth all of the work, plus we had to eat it with a fork and chop sticks (I am American, but I enjoy eating every thing with chop sticks, unless it's best eaten with a spoon). My next attempt was using the following recipe.
Almond Flour Microwave Pizza Crust
- 6 Tbsp Almond Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 3 Tbsp Butter/Coconut Oil
Mix, then microwave in a casserole dish. Then, I flipped it, put my pizza toppings on and broiled it for a couple minutes in the oven.
This one was not bad but made me a little sad when comparing it to Troy's Papa John's pizza, so we made a quick run to Publix and got the only frozen gluten-free pizza they had: Against The Grain Gluten-Free Pizza. I added some jalapenos on top before baking it. It tasted sort of like a Cheese-It and it was good, but not Papa John's. I could definitely cope with eating this pizza instead of my old favorite, but I still want to try making my own with less processed ingredients.
Obviously, I really like pizza, having made all of these since going gluten free less than a month ago! This next one was made using Bob's Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour. I followed the recipe on the bag for pizza crust...
- 1 1/4 cups Paleo Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp Water
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
It says to set the oven for 350 degrees F, mix the dry ingredients and liquid ingredients separate, then combine them. Then, let it set five minutes before rolling it out into a pizza-shaped crust atop oiled parchment paper, and bake it.
This one was okay, but the crust was too dry or something. Right now, Against The Grain Gluten-Free Pizza is still my favorite of these gluten free pizzas, but I will keep experimenting to find/make better gluten free pizza!
