Simple Almond Flour Pizza Crust

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Before we dive into pizza, I’m excited to announce that GastroChef has moved to its own domain! http://www.GastroChef.org will now be our new home! Don’t worry I have set it up so that all the old links will forward you to the new domain! I have also been working hard lately to set up a Facebook group which will start in the next month as well as a new section of this site that will provide resources on the current science behind gastrointestinal issues, treatments, medications, etc. Look for that section to launch sometime in March! Finally this March I will be brining to you a new recipe series for the month dedicated to Raw cooking and baking! Not sure what that is??? Just wait!! –GC

The Pizza Wars: Part 2

The Pizza Wars Continue! Today I present another crust that is not only simple to make but also something you can make ahead of time. One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with grain-free or nut based doughs, is the fact they do not hold together the same way traditional flour would. Due to this, you need to make a few considerations when preparing for any baking. The first, is to ensure the dough is always rolled onto parchment paper that has been oiled. This will ensure that when you remove the paper the dough doesn’t stick. The second consideration is timing. With these pizza crusts you can always make a few ahead of time and put them in the freezer. If you are doing this, you only need to lightly oil the parchment. The freezing process will cause the dough to become thicker and malleable. So if your intention with this dough is not pizza, but for some other baking crust, freezing is often the best thing to do before baking, as it will allow you to work with it almost like a traditional wheat based crust (Just take your time and be careful!). If using this crust as the base of a pie or tart i would suggest adding a teaspoon of almond extract and a few tablespoons of honey to sweeten it up.

Know your cheeses!!!

For those following an SCD diet or looking to limit your lactose intake, choose cheeses with low lactose. Generally choose harder cheeses, these generally have the lowest level of lactose and recommended for those following SCD – I stick with parmesan. Some others on the market which have lower levels are the following, however, i do recommend avoiding any cheese that is not on the SCD legal list unless you have found yourself personally able to tolerate it. Again, much of this comes down to your own body so choose what works best for you!

Swiss cheese
blue cheese
cheddar cheese
brick cheese
parmesan cheese

If you are not following the SCD diet, keep in mind that cheeses that are higher in lactose or contain more moisture like brie will affect your crust. To avoid your crust becoming soft or not holding, stick to harder cheeses! If you can’t do that, try to ensure you use small bits of the softer cheeses as an accent and avoid concentrating them near the centre of your pizza.

PDF———————–>Almond Meal Pizza Crust<————————PDF

-Enjoy!

GC

Almond Cauliflower Pizza Crust (SCD / grain free)

After not being able to handle the cravings anymore I decided to experiment with various grain-free pizza crusts. The first, which I will post this week, uses a cauliflower base. I’ve added a bit of almond meal and parmesan cheese to the mix to try and make the crust slightly more firm and hold better. If you have a pizza stone handy I would highly recommend using one. Not only does a pizza stone add flavour to the crust, but it also ensures the crust is cooked, top to bottom (make sure it is well oiled). If you happened to just buy one, or are thinking of getting one, make sure to season it before use!

How to season a pizza stone 

1) Preheat oven to 450C

2)Rub a generous amount of olive oil into the stone along with some oregano and basil

3) Cook the stone until the oil has absorbed

4) Re-oil stone and bake again until absorbed

5) Prior to use, place stone into cold oven and turn on to 350C and slowly heat the stone up.

6)Once heated remove from oven and roll out dough

**TIPS**

• Never use soap on stone, simple wash with water once stone has cooled completely
• Always ensure stone is heated before baking and cooled completely before cleaning
• With grain free doughs you may wish to cook on top of parchment paper to avoid crust from sticking (This happens a lot as it is not a traditional glutenous dough

SCD Pizza Sauce Recipe

While many can stomach store-bought pizza sauce, they do contain preservatives and sugar which are generally not tolerated well with those starting with IBD, Crohns or UC. Here is quick recipe you can use to make a stock of sauce.

Ingredients

• 4 medium tomatoes (peeled, cored and cut into 1/2″ chunks)
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 1 celery stock, chopped finely
• 1 medium white onion, chopped finely
• 2 tbsp basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Cook juice and tomatoes over medium heat in a pot until it becomes thick
2. While tomatoes cook, sauté celery, onion, basil and garlic
3. Add celery/onion mix to tomato sauce when they become soft
4. Continue to cook until it reaches desired thickness
5. Freeze excess sauce away for later use

 

-ENJOY!!!

GC

PDF———————>Almond Cauliflower Pizza Crust<————————–PDF