Pizzas - Anna Rissato

Gluten-Free Vegan Pizza

Anna — Mon, 08 May 2023 19:57:57 +0000

This gluten-free vegan pizza recipe is healthy, high in fiber, and super nutritious. Plus, it’s easy to make and uses few ingredients! This vegan pizza crust is made with pumpkin puree, which gives a slightly sweet flavor that goes well with any toppings! Due high fiber content, this pumpkin pizza crust is excellent for digestion. So if you tend to feel bloated after eating gluten-containing products, you won’t feel uncomfortable after eating this delicious gluten-free vegan pizza!

There are so many different veggie pizza ideas out there right now. I love that they’ve become a “trend” because any incentive to increase your vegetable intake is good. You don’t have to be on a gluten-free diet to enjoy a plant-based pizza crust. And this vegan pumpkin crust pizza is just a way to put some extra veggies on your plate and make it nutritious yet tasty! We should always try to include vegetables or roots in the preparations. Therefore, we can reduce the amount of flour used.

VEGAN PIZZA RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin puree: You can make the puree with most winter squashes, but I like to use kabocha or buttercup as it is less watery. You can also use the canned puree to speed up things.
Psyllium husk: It is a soluble fiber that will help you with digestion.
Olive oil: Adds moisture to the dough.
Yeast: I am using instant yeast for dough fermentation.
Brown sugar: Helps to feed the yeast.
Chickpea flour: A very nutritious flour, as it contains a good amount of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Brown rice flour: This is another nutritious flour as it is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Tapioca starch: Helps to bind ingredients together and add moisture.
Salt: Adds flavor to the dough.
Millet: This cereal grain belongs to the grass family. It is gluten-free and has high protein, fiber, and antioxidants. I am using it as a stuffing in this recipe to substitute cheese.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PIZZA

GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN PIZZA CRUST

Let’s start by preparing the dough for this vegan pizza crust. For this, we will need two bowls, a larger one for the flour and a smaller one for the wet ingredients.

Mix the wet ingredients:

In a large bowl, add the instant yeast, sugar, olive oil, and pumpkin puree. (Ideally, you should prepare this puree with oven-roasted squash, as it absorbs less water than boiled. If the puree is too runny or too watery, you’ll need to adjust the consistency of the dough with more flour). Mix the wet ingredients very well until smooth.

Mix the dry ingredients:

In another large bowl, add the chickpea flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch and salt. Mix until the flours are well incorporated.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients:

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. The best is to use your hands to work the dough ingredients together. This way, you will feel the dough consistency as you knead it. The dough will seem dry and shaggy at the begging, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened and the dough comes off your hands. If the dough is too dry, you can add some extra water. Add the water slowly in small portions and feel the dough as you knead it. Be careful not to miss the point and add too much water! The dough has to be soft and nice to work with and not stick to your hands.

Fermentation of the dough:

Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it ferment for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour. If you prefer, you can place the dough inside the turned-off oven. The dough will not rise as much but will be very soft.

Roll the dough:

When the dough has fermented, it’s time to roll it out with a rolling pin. I am using a silicone mat to help with opening the dough. A silicone mat makes it easier to roll out the dough, as it does not stick to the countertop. And I do not need to use extra flour to sprinkle the countertop. If you do not have a silicone mat, use plastic wrap or sprinkle some flour on the countertop. Roll out the dough to the desired thickness. I like to make the vegan pizza crust about 0.2 inch/0.5 cm thick.

Form the dough:

Cut the dough into mini pizzas, or if you prefer, you can make one or two large pizzas. To cut the dough into mini pizzas, use a doughnut cutter, a bowl or a lid from a pot to cut it into round shapes.

Pre-bake the vegan pizza crust:

To help loosen the dough from the counter, you can use a knife and place the shaped dough onto a baking sheet. It is good to pre-bake the dough before adding the stuffing. If you bake the vegan pizza dough with the sauce on top, the dough will absorb the sauce and become very soggy. So I like to pre-bake the dough to seal it, then add the toppings. Pre-bake the vegan pizza dough for 10 minutes at 350-390°F/180-200°C.

MILLET CREAM FOR TOPPING THIS VEGETARIAN PIZZA

To replace the cheese in this vegan pizza, I am using a millet cream, which is super delicious, and you will not miss the cheese on this pizza! Millet is a cereal, make sure to buy it deshelled!

Cook the millet:

Cook the millet with plenty of water to cover it completely. The millet will absorb all the water while cooking. When the millet is done cooking, it will resemble “soggy” rice.

Beat the millet:

Place the cooked millet in a blender and beat it with olive oil, lemon and salt. If desired, add some water, little by little, and beat again until you find the point you want. It needs to have a consistency of smooth cream. Lastly, add some freshly grated nutmeg to the cream and mix it up with a spoon.

ASSEMBLING THE MINI PIZZAS

When the millet cream and pre-baked vegan pizza crust are ready, all you have to do is assemble it.

Pizza Stuffing:

First, add some tomato sauce as a base. I’ve used my marinara sauce recipe. Then spoon the millet cream on top. The millet cream has an amazing texture and flavor! And lastly, top this homemade vegan pizza with whatever you like. I used some cherry tomato and basil as vegan options, but sometimes I like to top it with eggs, olives and dried tomatoes.

Bake:

When the vegan pizza is assembled, take it back to the oven and let it bake for about 15 minutes. Once the veggie pizza is done baking, I like to top it off with some fresh basil and a dash of black pepper to serve.

HOW TO STORE THIS VEGAN PIZZA

This vegan pizza with pumpkin crust can be frozen, or it can be stored for 3 days in the refrigerator.

To freeze the vegan pizza, place the crust in a freezer bag, separating each crust with parchment paper to prevent sticking the crust to each other. You can freeze pre-baked pizza crust for up to 3 months. Defrost the crust in the fridge overnight and bake for 5 minutes on average before stuffing it.

If you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal or if you’re looking for something different and fun for the weekend, then this vegan pizza is for you.

Gluten-Free Vegan Pizza

This gluten-free vegan pizza recipe is healthy, high in fiber, and super nutritious. Plus, it's easy to make and uses few ingredients! This vegan pizza crust is made with pumpkin puree, which gives a slightly sweet flavor that goes well with any toppings!

Course Main Course, Pizza

Cuisine Gluten Free, Italian

Keyword Gluten Free Pizza, Healthy Pizza Crust, Mini Pizzas, Pumpkin Crust Pizza, Vegan Pizza, Vegeterian Pizza

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

FERMENTATION TIME 30

Total Time 1 5

Servings Mini pizzas (10cm)

Calories 74kcal

Author Anna

Equipment

2 Large bowl
Kitchen scale and/or Measuring Spoons
Rolling Pin
Silicone Mat
Blender
Spatula
Baking Sheet
Small Pan
Bench Scraper

Ingredients

PIZZA CRUST

1 cup (200 g/7 oz) pumpkin puree* or another tuber such as cassava or sweet potato – *see note
2 tbsps (10 g/0.3 oz) psyllium
2 tbsps olive oil
3 tbsps (30 g/1 oz) brown sugar
1½ tbsps (15 g/0.5 oz) active yeast
1 cup (150 g/5 oz) chickpea flour
½ cup (75 g/2.6 oz) brown rice flour
⅓ cup (50 g/1.7 oz) tapioca starch
1 tsp (7 g/0.2 oz) salt
Water if necessary

MILLET CREAM

¼ cup (50 g/1.7 oz) millet deshelled, raw
2 cups water for cooking the millet
¼ cup olive oil
½ lime juice only
Salt to taste
Nutmeg to taste
Water if necessary. (To loosen the cream, if too thick.)

Instructions

PIZZA CRUST

In a large bowl add 1 cup (200 g/7 oz) pumpkin puree*, 2 tbsps (10 g/0.3 oz) psyllium, 2 tbsps olive oil, 3 tbsps (30 g/1 oz) brown sugar and 1½ tbsps (15 g/0.5 oz) active yeast. Mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
In another large bowl add 1 cup (150 g/5 oz) chickpea flour, ½ cup (75 g/2.6 oz) brown rice flour, ⅓ cup (50 g/1.7 oz) tapioca starch and 1 tsp (7 g/0.2 oz) salt Mix all the flours until well incorporated.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. The best is to use your hands to work the dough ingredients together. This way, you will feel the dough consistency as you knead it. The dough will seem dry and shaggy at the begging, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened and the dough comes off your hands. If necessary add water, little by little, to find the ideal texture of the dough.
Keeping the dough in the bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set it on the counter at room temperature or in the turned-off oven. Allow to ferment for 30 minutes or 1 hour. The dough will not rise as much but will be very soft.
When the dough has fermented, it's time to roll it out with a rolling pin. Roll out the dough to the desired thickness. Cut the dough into mini pizzas, or if you prefer, you can make one or two large pizzas, if desired, fold the edges.
To roll out the dough, I am using a silicone mat to help with opening the dough. A silicone mat makes it easier to roll out the dough, as it does not stick to the countertop. And I do not need to use extra flour to sprinkle the countertop. If you do not have a silicone mat, use plastic wrap or sprinkle some flour on the countertop.
To help loosen the dough from the counter, you can use a knife or a bench scraper and place the shaped dough onto a baking sheet. Pre-bake the vegan pizza dough for 10-15 minutes at 350-390°F/180-200°C.

MILLET CREAM

Cook the ¼ cup (50 g/1.7 oz) millet with 2 cups water. The millet will absorb all the water while cooking. When the millet is done cooking, it will resemble “soggy” rice.
Place the cooked millet in a blender with ¼ cup olive oil, juice from ½ lime, and some salt to your liking. Beat until smooth. If need add some water, little by little, and beat again until you find the point you want. It needs to have a consistency of smooth cream. Lastly, add some freshly grated nutmeg to the cream and mix it up with a spoon.
(The millet cream has a firmer consistency after cooling, to soften add some more water.)

ASSEMBLING THE MINI PIZZAS

When the millet cream and pre-baked pizza crust are ready, all you have to do is assemble it.
First, add some tomato sauce as a base. Then spoon the millet cream on top. And lastly, top with whatever you like. I used some cherry tomato and basil.
Bake for about 10 minutes at 200°C/390℉.
To serve top it with some fresh basil and a dash of black pepper.

Notes

*If you use a drier puree, you will need to add some water. Add little by little to find the ideal texture of the dough, which should be soft and easy to shape.

** The amount of flour may vary according to the moisture of the puree. If the puree is too runny or too watery, you’ll need to adjust the consistency of the dough with more flour. If you need to correct it, add a little bit of each of the flours respecting the proportions.

Nutrition

The post Gluten-Free Vegan Pizza appeared first on Anna Rissato.

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

Anna — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 00:38:44 +0000

Anna Rissato
Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

Looking for a gluten-free pizza crust? Did you know that it is possible to make pizza crust with quinoa? This gluten-free pizza crust is soft yet sturdy, with crunchy edges, and is a healthy alternative to wheat crust pizza. In addition, this gluten-free pizza crust is low-carb, full of protein, and very filling because it is rich in fiber and makes you feel fuller for longer!

Pizza is something that almost everyone likes. It allows for infinite flavors and combinations of many ingredients together. A traditional pizza is considered junk food and not friendly to our health. But what if you could turn pizza to be healthy and gluten-free? As we know now that this is possible with quinoa, a grain known for its multiple health benefits. Just choose the ingredients well to stuff a pizza crust, and you’ll have a healthy lunch, dinner, or snack. Furthermore, pizza crust made from quinoa is gluten-free, ideal for those who are intolerant to gluten.

There are many different ways to use quinoa. You can use it in salad or instead of rice. However, my favorite way is to make a gluten-free pizza crust, and I believe you will adore it too! But if you are not a fan of the quinoa seed, you may want to consider another healthy variation of pizza crust, like a Pumpkin Crust Pizza, it’s also gluten-free and tastes so good!

INGREDIENTS FOR GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA CRUST RECIPE

Quinoa: I used raw uncooked quinoa seeds for this recipe, but any variety will work, though white quinoa offers the more traditional pizza color and flavor.
Water: It helps mix the quinoa in the blender.
Baking Powder: I add a little baking powder to add some air bubbles and softness to the crust.
Sea salt: A touch of salt helps bring out all the flavors in this gluten-free quinoa pizza crust!
Olive oil: It helps with the flavor.

HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA CRUST WITH QUINOA

Here are a few simple steps to make this healthy and gluten-free pizza crust with quinoa:

First, soak the quinoa for at least 6 hours. This will allow the quinoa to soften enough to facilitate blending, and create a smooth batter.
Next, rinse the quinoa in the cold tap running water.
Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until completely smooth. Then pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and smooth it with a spatula.
Bake the pizza crust for about 10-15 minutes, then turn it over and bake for another 10-15 minutes at 220ºC/430ºF.
The final step is to cover your pizza with your desired toppings, place it back in the oven and let the cheese melt. Cut your pizza and serve!

TIPS FOR MAKING GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA CRUST RECIPE

Soak the quinoa for at least 6 hours. Soaking make the quinoa softer and easier to blend.
Rinse the quinoa very well after soaking. This helps remove the bitter taste of the quinoa. Be sure to use a small mesh strainer. You don’t want to run it down the sink.
Use parchment paper or a nonstick baking sheet. It’s the easiest way to flip the crust. Also, some baking sheets stick quinoa batter so much and will break the crust when you want to separate it.
Don’t overbake. Baking time will depend on your oven, what baking sheet are you using, and how thick your pizza is. If you see that the edges start browning, then that’s the time to turn the crust. Bear in mind that you’ll be popping it back into the oven once you pile the sauce and pizza toppings on. This means that the crust will continue to bake and brown on the bottom and edges.

CAN I FREEZE THIS GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA CRUST?

Yes, you can definitely freeze gluten-free quinoa pizza crust. Bake until step 4 (no toppings), cool and wrap it in plastic wrap or a larger freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you want to eat it, thaw it by placing it in the oven at 425⁰ F. (220⁰ C.) for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, add your favorite toppings, put it back in the oven and bake as usual.

TOPPING SUGGESTIONS FOR GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA

Need some inspiration for your pizza topping? Here are some of my favorite combinations:

Tomato sauce, cheese, fresh basil.
Tomato sauce, cheese, caramelized onion, egg, bacon.
Green pesto, cheese, spinach, tomato confit.
Tomato sauce, cheese, sliced red onion, sautéed mushrooms.

Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

Course Dinner, Main Course, Pizza

Cuisine Gluten Free, Italian

Keyword Easy and Quick Dinner, Gluten-Free Pizza Crust, Healthy Food, Healthy Pizza Recipe, Low-Carb Pizza, Protein Pizza, Quinoa Pizza Crust

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

SOAKING TIME 6

Total Time 6 50

Servings servings

Calories 392kcal

Author Anna

Equipment

Blender
Silicone Spatula
Parchment paper
Baking Sheet
Bowl

Ingredients

1 cup (180 g/6.3 oz) raw quinoa*
⅓ cup water*
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp teaspoon of salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Start by soaking the quinoa. Place the 1 cup (180 g/6.3 oz) raw quinoa* in a bowl or a jar, cover it with at least 2cm of filtered water and soak for 6 hours. This will allow the quinoa to soften enough to facilitate blending and create a smooth batter.
Preheat the oven to 430℉/220ºC. Line a baking sheet with NON-STICK parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet (you can use a pizza pan, a 23 cm round cake pan, or a rectangular pan). Brush with oil.
Rinse the soaked quinoa well and place in a blender. Add ⅓ cup water*, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp teaspoon of salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Beat on high speed until smooth and creamy. The batter should resemble a thick pancake batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet. Spread into an even layer, about 3mm thick.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust begins to firm up and brown slightly. Then remove it from the oven, turn it over and remove the parchment paper from the top, if using.
Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until it starts to brown and the edges are crispy.
Remove the crust from the oven and cover it with your desired toppings. Place it back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Remove the pizza and cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Serve immediately!

Notes

* The ideal is to let the quinoa soak for 6 hours. If you are in a hurry, use very hot water and soak for at least 30 minutes.

* If your batter is too thick and you find it difficult to mix it in the blender, add a little more water and beat until you have a smooth batter. The batter should resemble a thick pancake batter.

Nutrition

The post Gluten-Free Pizza Crust appeared first on Anna Rissato.