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Those of you who know me will be amazed that I haven’t posted a gluten free pizza recipe yet.
But trust me, I have spent over a year working to perfect this gluten free pizza crust before I wanted to share it with you.
And it really is just best gluten free pizza recipe ever!
Forget the cardboard-y, thin crust gluten free pizzas you buy in the frozen aisle because this is a whole new level.
It’s doughy and delicious with a crunchy crust and the BEST tomato sauce topping around.
Honestly, to finally be able to write up this recipe and share it with you has just put the biggest ever smile on my face.
There’s a recipe card below you can print out, but make sure you read through all my top tips in this post to answer any questions you might have.
Table of Contents
The best gluten free pizza crust
Over the last year I’ve perfected the best way to construct and cook this gluten free pizza so I’ve got lots of top tips to share.
This gluten free pizza recipe is broken down into two parts.
Whether you’re new to gluten free baking or an expert, this is a recipe you need in your repertoire.
First up you’ve got the BEST gluten free pizza crust recipe, which is an easy, yeast-based pizza dough.
It’s easy to make, uses simple ingredients and handles like a dream.
I’ve also included by gluten free pizza sauce recipe which is just an absolute game changer.
A herby and garlicky passata base, this is just like the sauce my Mum used to make when I was a kid.
If you make pizza a lot, you can even cook up a big batch and freeze it in small, one-pizza portions, to defrost as needed.
I love a time-saving tip like this and it will be cheaper to make the sauce in bulk too.
Gluten free pizza base ingredients
There’s a full printable recipe card below, but for the shopping list you’ll need:
- 400ml milk (see notes for dairy free/vegan)
- 3 tsp sugar
- 14g dried yeast
- 500g FREEE gluten free white bread flour
- 2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
I always use the FREEE gluten free white bread flour, but if you can’t find this you want a gluten free flour blend which includes rice, potato and tapioca flour.
The recipe will work with a plain gluten free flour blend or all purpose mix but it will be a thousand times better with the bread flour!
The xanthan gum is important as this helps to provide some of the stretchy texture you’d normally get from the gluten.
If you want to make this recipe dairy free or vegan, then you can replace the milk with water or a dairy free milk.
I do find you get a better result using milk – and the pizza tends to keep and reheat better.
But it does still achieve a delicious result with water, it’s pretty similar to my gluten free focaccia bread recipe.
WHICH YEAST IS GLUTEN FREE?
I am based in the UK and there are several yeast products here which are gluten free and readily available.
I always use either the Allinson’s Easy Bake Yeast or the Dove’s Farm Quick Yeast.
You can also use the Allinson’s Time Saver Yeast, though be aware that you may not need to prove the dough for as long if you use this.
All of these yeasts are gluten free in the UK.
The Dove’s Farm one is certified gluten free and found in the free from aisle.
The Allinson’s yeasts are free from gluten and can be found with the ‘regular’ baking goods.
TESTING IF YOUR YEAST IS ACTIVE
It’s very important with any bread recipe that you activate the yeast before using it.
To do this, all of my gluten free bread-based recipes start by mixing the yeast with warm milk (or some of them with water) and sugar.
I’d strongly recommend using a food thermometer like this one to ensure the water or milk is around 40’C – skin temperature.
Too hot and it will kill the yeast, which means your bake will not rise.
When left in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes, the yeast should form a frothy top a bit like the head on beer.
This means your yeast is active and you’re good to go!
If your yeast doesn’t froth up after 10 minutes, it’s likely it is dead and you’ll need to discard it and start again.
Sometimes yeast can go out of date so this could be a reason for it not frothing.
This is also why a food thermometer is so helpful – if the water is too hot or too cold your yeast won’t activate the way it should.
The best tomato sauce for pizza
Making this gluten free pizza sauce for your pizza is super easy and you only need a few ingredients.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 250g passata
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- Salt and Pepper
Really it’s just a case of frying it all together to create a super tasty sauce.
In terms of toppings, I love a classic combination of mozzarella and pepperoni.
However some of my other favourite gluten free pizza toppings are:
- Jalapeños
- Goats cheese and caramelised onion chutney
- Ham and pineapple
- Mixed charcuterie meats
- Cajun chicken pieces
- Roasted peppers
- Dollops of pesto
I also love drizzling my cooked pizza with garlic or chilli oil for an extra special touch!
HOW MUCH SHOULD MY Pizza Dough RISE?
This gluten free pizza dough only needs one rise and it will take around 40 minutes-to-an-hour.
However, this can completely vary depending on the time of year and conditions of your kitchen!
For example, if you were to make this on a very hot, humid day, you may find the dough rises in half the time compared to making it in the middle of winter.
As a guide, here is what my pizza dough looked like before and after proving:
Before proving:
After proving:
If you don’t allow for the pizza dough to prove, it won’t rise properly in the oven.
This is what gives it this lovely doughy texture – trust me, it’s worth it.
My gluten free pizza recipe
Here it is, months and months of work and my best ever gluten free pizza recipe is here!
This makes two, decent sized (11-12 inch pizzas) or you can use it to make four smaller ones.
I would 100% recommend cooking it on a pizza mesh as it means the base gets lovely and crisp.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your creations!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten Free Pizza
This gluten free pizza recipe is honestly the best pizza crust ever! This base recipe will make enough for 2 x 11-inch pizzas, or 4 x smaller pizzas. For best results, I recommend cooking on a pizza mesh.
Ingredients
For the base:
- 400ml milk (see notes for dairy free/vegan)
- 3 tsp sugar
- 14g dried yeast
- 500g FREEE gluten free white bread flour
- 2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
For the tomato sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 250g passata
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- Salt and Pepper
For the toppings:
- 1 x ball mozzarella cheese
- Any other toppings of choice
- Extra olive oil for brushing the crust
Instructions
- Measure out the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until it hits around 40'C - which should feel like skin temperature if you dip your finger in.
- Stir the sugar into the warm milk and until dissolved, then add the yeast and stir again. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to activate. It should form a lovely froth on top when it's ready.
- Meanwhile add the gluten free flour, xanthan gum and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine thoroughly.
- When the yeast has formed a frothy top, pour the mixture into the flour mix. Use a wooden spoon to beat the mixture together - it should start to become quite sticky.
- Once the mixture becomes a bit claggy, add the olive oil. Continue to mix with the wooden spoon until it forms a smooth, slightly sticky dough which should come away from the side of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a piece of oiled clingfilm and then place in a warm spot for 40-60 minutes to prove. The dough should become puffy and double in size.
- Add the olive oil to a frying pan and place on a low heat. Add the basil, oregano and garlic to the oil and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens.
- Pour in the passata and add the tomato puree then season with salt and pepper. Mix well with a wooden spoon until combined and then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat until ready to use.
- Once the dough has proved, preheat the oven to 220'C / Fan 200'C / Gas Mark 8. A nice, hot oven is essential!
- Lay a piece of baking paper on the worktop, slightly larger than the pizza you'll be making, and dust it with a little gluten free flour. For a more precise pizza shape, you can draw around a dinner plate onto the paper to use as a guide - or just freestyle it!
- Dust your hands so that the dough doesn't stick to them and then gently push the pizza dough into a circle shape, around 1-2cm thick. It should be approx 11-inches across and look like this:
- Place a pizza mesh over the top of the pizza base, then carefully lift the baking paper and flip it over - the pizza mesh should be on the bottom, the the dough on top of that and the baking paper on top. Carefully peel off the baking paper so your base is sat on the mesh, ready to top:
- Spread the sauce onto the pizza base, leaving around half-an-inch around the edges. Cover with mozzarella cheese and your toppings of choice. Finish by brushing the exposed crusts with a little olive oil so they crisp up nicely.
- Carefully place the pizza in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are bubbling. Remove, slice up and serve hot.
While the dough is proving, make the tomato sauce
To construct the pizzas
Notes
- For a dairy free/vegan version, this recipe will work using a dairy free milk such as almond or soya, or alternatively use water in place of milk.
- Any leftovers (what is that!?) can be kept in the fridge and reheated. To reheat, the best method is to place the slices of pizza in a frying pan on a low heat, then cover with a lid until the toppings are bubbling.
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NEED SOME MORE GLUTEN FREE BREAD INSPIRATION?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free bread based recipes on the blog?
Give some of these other gluten free treats a try and see what you think!
There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple of easy baking ideas to get you going:
- Easy white gluten free loaf
- Brown seeded bread
- Vegan and gluten free focaccia
- Super soft gluten free bread rolls
- Yeast free soda bread
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
LIKE THIS GLUTEN FREE Pizza RECIPE?
Make sure you pin these recipe cards below for later!
Do head over and follow me on Pinterest too for more gluten free recipe inspiration.
Super easy recipe and everything worked! I didn’t have a pizza mesh but a lightly floured baking tray worked just as well. It Is one of the best pizza doughs I’ve tasted. I’ve frozen some raw dough to see if that works! Thanks so much! 💜💜
So I gave your gluten free pizza a try and it was blooming lovely. Said to hubby we were having it for dinner tonight he said “OK but my expectations are pretty low!” He thought it was delicious
Can you use something instead of Xanthan gum
Could you use cornflour instead
Could you use cornflour instead
I just tried the gluten-free pizza recipe last Sunday I made this recipe using a wood-fired oven. It tastes like YUM! I topped it with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and his favorite topping sliced black olives. I wanted to say thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thank you!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!! My hubby was diagnosed with celiac a few months ago and I have only made him pizza once with a ready made GF crust. He is still processing the idea that he can never have pizza… until today! Your pizza was so GOOD! Such an easy dough to make in this crazy tasteless GF world. I used Caputo’s Fioreglut GF flour; baked the dough on a steel stone, brushed it with some olive oil and when it was golden I topped it with tomato sauce and mozzarella, popped it in the over until the cheese melted. To serve I topped it with drizzle of pesto, prosciutto, halved cherry tomatoes and arugula!!! WOW!!!!!! Even our teenage daughter wanted to eat it! (that’s a big complement!) I only used half the dough, so tomorrow I’ll make bread out of it… or something. The only negative…. did not take photos!! But we’ll be making this dough again and again. Thank you!!!! You made our GF world tastier!
Yay! As the world’s biggest pizza fan this makes me SO happy! Thank you for the lovely feedback xx