The BEST gluten-free Pizza also happens to be Dairy-Free and Soy-Free

I've met a lot of people with dietary restrictions and without doubt, one of the first foods that everyone craves is pizza.  There's just something about that ooey, gooey goodness, that is oh so bad for anyone with a gluten or dairy intolerance, that's so hard to resist.  In fact, just based on casual conversation, I would go so far as to say it is one of the most common foods that people with restricted diets eat, despite the consequences they'll have to endure.

For a long time, this was my go-to gluten-free pizza recipe.  It's quick, easy and pretty darn delicious.  Plus, since its made with bean flour, I'd almost go so far as to call it nutritious.  I'd still make it in a pinch or if I wanted pizza quick, but its no longer my favourite.

After three and a half gluten-free years, I have quite possibly found the best gluten-free pizza recipe.  One of the amazing features of this recipe is that you can keep the dough in your fridge for a week, so with minimal effort, its possible to have gluten-free pizza two times in a single week.  This recipe is adapted from the fantastic book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois, take a moment and check out their website for more recipes and cooking deliciousness.

To make the boy's pizza dairy-free, I use Daiya Vegan Cheese, however before I found that, I used to make a small amount of white sauce (using Earth Balance soy free margarine, rice flour and rice milk) and I would drizzle it on top of the pizza before baking, to give it some 'bubbliness' and help hold the toppings on the pizza.  Daiya's better, but the white sauce drizzle is a reasonable solution if you can't find any vegan cheese to meet your dietary restrictions.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Pizza Dough

(Adapted from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day
by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois)

Dry Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 1 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp yeast (fast-acting or traditional is fine)
• 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp xantham gum

Wet Ingredients:

• 3/4 - 1 cup warm water
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp cider vinegar

 Directions to make the Dough:

1. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. 
   Using a whisk will blend the flours well and add a little extra air.
2. Combine all of the wet ingredients.
   I like to use a 'shaker cup' intended for protein shakes or marinades.
3. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer.
   This step can apparently be done by hand, but it would definitley take some elbow grease.  The dough should be soft and slightly sticky, but not goopy.
4. Loosely cover the dough and allow to rest at room temperature for approximately 2 hours.
   I often turn my oven to warm for 5 minutes while preparing the dough, then place the bowl in the 'warmed' oven to rise as my home is quite cool.
5. The dough can now be used fresh to make your pizza or you can refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container for up to 7 days.

 Directions to Make the Pizza:

1. Preheat your oven to 425F
   If you are using a pizza stone, let it preheat in the hot oven for at least 30 minutes.
2. Remove a ball of dough roughly the size of a grapefruit (orange if making a toddler pizza) and place on a piece of parchment paper and cover with two pieces of saran wrap so that when you roll out the dough, the entire area will be covered by saran.
   You can use a Silpat mat, but parchment works better especially if you want a crispy crust and are going to follow (optional) step 8.
3. Roll the dough out until it is about 1/4 of an inch thick and will fit on your pan.
4. Slowly and carefully remove the saran wrap from the dough.
5. Place your pizza sauce, toppings and Daiya Vegan Cheese on the dough.
   Make sure you read your topping ingredients to make sure they meet your dietary restrictions.  If using vegetables, I recommend pre-sauteeing them to prevent your crust from becoming soggy.
6. Slide your pizza, and parchment paper, onto your pizza stone or place on a cookie sheet and slide it into the oven.
7. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. OPTIONAL: Carefully slide your pizza off of the parchment and onto the pizza stone or cookie sheet.
   This will prevent a soggy crust!
9. Bake another 3-5 minutes until your toppings are bubbly and golden and your crust is crispy and slightly browned.
10. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.
11. Stuff your face and enjoy your pizza without any guilt.
    

Yield: two full size pizza's and one toddler (or personal) size pizza
Recipe can be doubled