Holy Grail Gluten Free Pizza Dough (Dairy free, Vegan)

Recipe

This Holy Grail Gluten Free Pizza Dough is everything you could possibly want. Wonderfully tender with a slight chew, the most deliciously crispy crusts, gluten free, dairy free AND vegan - this recipe will take pizza night to the next level!

I've always preferred my pizzas with a thin base, light texture, crunchy edges and a delicious but unobtrusive flavour. Not criteria that would ordinarily be difficult to fulfil, but in the gluten free world we know we don't always get all the texture we want as well as the wonderful flavour we want. I've made many (MANY) different pizza bases in my search for my holy grail, and here it is!

This pizza base ticks all the boxes. It's thin with a soft, lightly chewy centre and a crust that's the perfect blend of crunchy and airy. Not only that but the flavour of this dough is the perfect neutral backdrop to whatever you could want to out on top. I've also tested this recipe with a whole variety of toppings. It has stood up admirably to elegant, minimalist combinations and out of control mountains of toppings without missing a beat - the days of gummy, sad pizzas are over in this household!

Is homemade gluten free pizza dough difficult to make?

The recipe for this pizza dough is pretty approachable. It is a yeasted dough, but the proofing times are relatively short; just 45 to 60 minutes for the first proof and another 15 to 30 minutes prior to topping the pizzas. That means that if you want amazing, made-from-scratch pizza, you can have it in two hours or less!

The key to the light texture of my Holy Grail Pizza Dough is the amount moisture in the dough. It does mean the dough can be a gloppy and sticky, but a bit of oil on your work surface and on your hands will stop it from getting out of control. The consistency of the dough also means that you can mix it easily either in a stand mixer or by hand - it won't put up much fight either way.

What's the best way to shape this pizza base?

I'm sticking with the 'Easy Peasy' theme with shaping too. I don't bother with a rolling pin and flour here, the dough is soft enough to shape it with your own two hands and nothing else.

I find the best way is to start by covering a sheet of baking paper with light layer of olive oil - this helps the dough to spread really easily. Then, working with half the dough at a time, shape it into a rough round with oiled hands and plop it down on the paper. Use your hands to press it out into a circle about 30cm across (mine goes all the way to the very edge of the baking paper). I like to make mine a bit thinner in the centre and thicker on the edges for lovely crispy crusts.

To get your pizzas from the bench top to the oven the best way is to slide them quickly, calmly and confidently onto the trays. If you have an extra pair of hands to hold the tray by the edge of the bench while you slide it'll make life a lot easier!

How do you get perfectly cooked dough without burning the toppings?

This is one of the most annoying issues I've had with gluten free pizzas over the years! They always seemed to cook on top long before the underside was cooked - very disappointing. But fear not! This recipe will give you perfectly cooked base and toppings. The lightness of the dough plays a big roll in how fast it cooks, and I have a few tips to help as well:

1. Oven temperature - most homemade pizza recipes will tell you to heat the oven as high as it will go. This is not the case for this recipe. Baking your pizzas at a lower temperature for a bit longer ensures a properly cooked base without burnt toppings.

2. Perforated pizza trays - my best pizzas didn't happen until I forked out a whopping $7 at Kmart for two pizza trays with holes in the bottom. The holes help the hot air to circulate around as much of the dough as possible, cooking the dough faster and more thoroughly. I preheat my trays in the oven when I turn it on to get a head start on a bit of golden brown action too.

3. Sliding the pizzas off the paper halfway through cooking - It might seem like an annoying extra step, but sliding the pizzas off their paper after 15 minutes in the oven does help to give the base more direct heat. Mine slide off really easily after 15 minutes, but if yours won't budge give them another 5 minutes and try again.

4. Baking time - these pizzas cook for 25 - 30 minutes. It seems like a long time but it's well worth it for properly cooked pizzas. If you have a lighter layer of toppings your pizza might cook a bit faster, and if you've gone a bit nuts and put way too many toppings on (like I almost always do), it might need a little longer!

What's the best way to store leftover pizza?

There is rarely any leftover pizza in this household, but if you have more self control than us and you do have leftovers it'll keep best wrapped up and store in the fridge. Reheat in a 180ºC oven until hot.