Pizza is a staple in so many houses and fills the soul with happiness. It certainly does in my house. It's eaten all over the world in so many households and those who've visited Italy will know that their freshly made pizza's are divine. Step back to England, there's no Italian chef waiting in my kitchen to make one for me and there's certainly no plant based, gluten free options in the shops that I want to buy..... Have you ever thought about what's in your pizza dough, where are the ingredients sourced?
I made it my mission to make a pizza dough that was made from nutritious flours that make my tummy happy. This means for me it's plant based, gluten free, dairy free anddddd refine sugar free but really, it's are just made of WHOLESOME ingredients! So before making any excuses, I implore you to get down to your local shop, grab the ingredients and get creating.
This recipe ticks so many boxes.
It's yummy, simple and can be made ahead of time too.
Get your kids involved in the making their own dough, rolling out their base and adding their own toppings. Great for adult gathering or kids parties. This dough is transportable.
Serves: 2 adult pizza bases (it's super filling)
Time to prepare: 15 minutes + optional 1 hour chilling time
Time to cook: 11 - 18 minutes (6 - 8 in pan, 5 - 10 in oven)
You will need...
1 1/4 cup of gram flour (150g), also known as chickpea or besan flour
1 cup of tapioca flour (115g) + extra for dusting
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary (freshly chopped is great too)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil + extra for cooking
3/4 cup almond milk (140ml)
GF white flour also works in this recipe. Choose either the above flour mix or two and 1/4 cups of plain white flour based on what feels good for your body. Yay lots of pizza. I also use this recipe when making my other half non-gf pizza and add a little extra milk until if forms your ball of dough as the flour behaves a little differently.
How to create...
~ First, weigh out the flours into a mixing bowl and mix together with the bicarb, turmeric and rosemary.
~ Add the oil and mix, pressing any clumps against the bowl.
~ Make a well and pour in the almond milk. Using a spoon at first, mix until everything starts to come together. Don't be tempted to adjust anything just yet, keep mixing.
~ When it all starts to stick together, pop the spoon down, having scrapped any extra mix back into the bowl, and use your hands to bring the dough together. Roll in your hands or on a floured surface using tapioca flour (I sometimes put some on my hands if it's sticky) until it forms a ball of dough.
~ Split the dough in half and make two ball shapes and press to flatten slightly.
Tips: If the dough is sticky then add a sprinkling of tapioca flour and roll together. Repeat. if necessary, until your dough ball no longer sticks to your hands.
If the dough ball is dry/crumbly add a little almond milk.
Make sure you roll the dough for a good minute to see how the added ingredients have changed the dough. My best advice is to add a little bit at a time.
Optional: I'd recommend covering the dough in the bowl or put it in a sealable bag and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour. The longer it's had to chill the better. I like to make the dough the day before having friends over for dinner.
* You can wash the sealable bag and reuse for something else.
If you don't have time to let this chill then it's also good to continue cooking...
Cooking:
~ Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit for 5 minutes.
~ Sprinkle a good amount of tapioca flour on a clean surface (helps the dough not stick).
~ Place one of the balls on your dusted surface and squash the ball slightly. Sprinkle flour over the top of the dough and your rolling pin and roll out the dough. Roll to 5mm thick. If it's too thin it can break when moving it to your pan. Be mindful of your pan size when rolling to make sure it can fit.
Tip: I use a flat spatula to help loosen the dough if it gets stuck to the surface.
~ Heat a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan on a low heat. When this is hot add the rolled out pizza dough. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes and flip to cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes. The base may have some natural bubbles. It turns a beautiful red colour when it's ready to be flipped *see video
~ Place the cooked base onto a tray to add your toppings (I sometimes use baking paper and put it under my pizza to cook but it's not necessary). It makes tidying up quicker, I then re-use, if possible, the big thing is it makes cooking lots of pizzas easier and there's less chance of contamination from other pizzas too if you're also making GF pizzas.
~ Cook in the oven until your toppings are ready. I usually have it in the oven for around 5 - 10 minutes. The base has already cooked so it's simply just for your toppings.
You can store the second dough ball in the fridge for 2-3 days in a sealable bag.
I'll do some freezer testing and let you know what I find.
Viola, a tasty homemade pizza dough to decorate with your favourite toppngs.
I use either homemade puree, when tomatoes are in season, or tomato passata as a basic pizza base.
You can split the dough into four and make smaller pizzas as shown above.
Left: Toppings; roasted pepper, krispy kale and roasted almonds
Right: Caramalised green beans and onion, spinach, sour kraut, chopped pumpkin seeds.
Hope you enjoy creating it as much as I do, Emmy x I'd love to hear if you've tried the recipe and what you top yours with.
This recipe is created with love, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, plant based and is full of wholesome goodness. All the ingredients I use I try to use organic, local and fair trade where possible and necessary but it’s up to you to choose what you want to use.
Did you know...
Chickpea flour is full of ...
Thiamin (Vitamin B1) it plays an essential role in supplying energy to tissues and metabolism (1).
Vitamin B6 plays an essential role in co-enzymatic systems, boosts metabolism and cognitive function, can help pms symptoms, strengthens the immune system (2).
Copper; an essential trace mineral found in all body tissues, playing a role in maintaining the immune system and nerve cells, it helps to maintain healthy blood vessels and absorb iron (3).
Anddddd Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Zinc, Protein, Fiber and smaller amounts of vitamin B2, B3, B5, Vitamin E, Calcium and Sodium. (4)
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