Gluten-free Pizza

I have been craving a gluten-free pizza made from scratch.  I took out my Bette Hagman cookbook and picked an easy pizza dough recipe.  The cookbook is Living Well Without Wheat by Bette Hagman and can be bought on Amazon by clicking here.  The recipe is Jill's Quick and Easy Pizza Crust on Page 161.  My book is an older version though.  The one on Amazon is a revised version.

Bette Hagman developed Celiac Disease later in life and wrote several cook books that helped me tremendously with my transition to gluten-free eating.  She passed away a few years ago.

You will need:

• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2/3 cup rice flour
• 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 shortening, melted
• mozzarella cheese, shredded
• pizza sauce
• pizza toppings of your choice

Before I begin, a word on xanthan gum. The gluten in wheat adds that stretch and binding to doughs and baked goods.  With gluten-free baking we sometimes need to add our own binding agent.  That is what we use xanthan gum for.  It is ridiculously expensive, but you only would use 1 tsp. at the absolute most in any given recipe so it does last a long time.  I keep mine in a sealed container in the freezer.  I have found it in the Bulk Barn and health food stores. 

Make the dough:

Beat the milk and eggs together.  Add the flours, xanthan gum and salt.  Mix in melted shortening.

Spread onto a clay pizza round in a 12-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick, but make the out edge thicker.  You will find this very thin and runny, but trust me that it will bake up very nicely. 

Make the pizza:

Spread pizza sauce over the dough.  Add shredded mozzarella.  I added jalapenos, sliced mushrooms and sliced onion.  Rach added roasted garlic, sliced onion and pickled banana peppers on her side.  The picture shown is my side. 

Bake at 400 degrees F for approx 25 minutes.  I let it sit for about 10 or 15 minutes before slicing.  It really is good - hit the spot!