Rustic Vegan, Gluten Free Pizza

There was a time in my life when every Friday night was pizza night. Every Thursday evening, I would put my Kitchen Aid to working kneading the dough, giving it a slow rise in the fridge overnight. An hour before dinner, I would set out the dough to bring it to room temperature while skillets on the stove sizzled with fresh tomato sauce, onions, peppers, spinach and mushrooms. It was quite the event, and quite the meal.

That was many years and dietary changes ago. Then, at the start of quarantine, my daughter Kate gifted me with a kitchen scale and Aran Goyoaga’s Cannelle et Vanille: Nourishing Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Meal and Mood. Before long, a similar scene was recreated in my kitchen, and the results were amazing.

Here I share the crust recipe from Goyoaga with a few adaptions. I will say, however, I have since made two adaptations. One is to replace the brown rice flour and some of the water with brown rice sourdough. The other is to use some quinoa flour along with the sorghum. I wouldn’t skimp on the overnight rise, but if you must, at least allow it up to 6 hours in the fridge. I also recommend a pizza stone.

Ingredients

Enough for 4 individual pizzas

• 4.5 tsp dry yeast
• 5 cups filtered water
• 1.5 tsp sugar, maple syrup or honey
• 210 g brown rice flour or brown rice sourdough
• 210 g sorghum flour (or a mix of sorghum and quinoa flour)
• 120 g tapioca starch
• 120 g potato starch
• 4 T psyllium husk powder
• 3 tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)
• 3 T olive oil

Directions

1. Proof yeast with 250 ml warm filtered water (110 degrees F). While waiting, measure out dry ingredients into the bowl of your mixer.
2. When yeast is ready, add along with olive oil and water, 1 cup at a time, as the amount needed will vary. Begin mixing with dough hook on low speed to combine all ingredients. This dough should be wet but hold together well in a large mass. Add flour or more water to adjust.
3. Place in a well-oiled bowl, cover, and put away in the fridge overnight for a beautiful slow rise.
4. Remove an hour before baking. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  
5. When ready, divide into four pieces and roll on parchment paper that has been dusted with any of the flours you have handy. 
6. Slide crusts into the preheated oven onto the baking stone or heavy baking sheet.
7. After 12 minutes of baking, top the crust with your own version of sauce, any variety of sauteed veggies… and if you are a vegan cheese lover, be sure to splurge on this mozzarella.
8. Return pizza to oven and bake another 10 minutes or so depending on the thickness of the crust.  I like making this pizza in a rectangle and serving each one on its own board. 

Enjoy!