Vegetarian

Crumble-Proof Cauliflower Pizza Crust

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Am on a continuous search for an amazing pizza crust that’s naturally gluten free. Pizza is at the cornerstone of my evening cravings, and making pizza at home with the kids has now become a little family tradition. I posted a recipe last month (April Archives) on a blended rice flour and tapioca pizza crust. Well, this one is slightly different. It’s a Paleo (grain-free) pizza crust using cauliflower as the base ingredient. In terms of texture, it’s a bit fluffier and moister than a rice crust pizza. It’s also far more likely to break. But after many trial and error attempts I’ve realized the secret lies in not using 1, but 2 large eggs. You also have to remove ALL excess moisture from the “dough”. Read ahead and you’ll be on your way to a delicious gluten free alternative to traditional pizza crust!

Serves 2- You Will Need:

  • 1 large cauliflower or 2 small ones
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano (optional)
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1/2 cup of cheese (You could use parmesan, asiago, provolone or mozzarella)Taste-wise, I like to use parmesan or asiago. Parmesan is saltier than most cheeses, so if you opt for this one, you may want to forego the pinch of salt. Please note; this cheese is for the crust, it acts as a nice binder. I generally don’t consume dairy, but I use organic (hormone-free) cheese for this recipe. You may also want to try a cheese blend of any of the above types. Whatever you do, I would never add more than 1 cup of cheese to this recipe.
  • Optional: 2 minced cloves of garlic ( I love garlic and spices)

Assembly:

Turn your oven to Bake at 400 degrees.

  1. Take a cauliflower head and remove the stem. Divide into individual florets with your hand and place them in your food processor. Using the “Pulse” setting, turn it into a rice or couscous like-texture. Bring 2/3 cup of water to a boil on a soup pot and place the “cauliflower rice” inside. Cover for 3-5 minutes and let it steam. Use a strainer to remove excess water and then place the rice onto a clean kitchen towel. Wrap the towel around the cauliflower rice (in the shape of a ball) and squeeze hard to ring out any excess moisture. Failure to do this step will result in a crumbly, mushy crust. We need to ensure it’s somewhat dry and sturdy prior to baking.  Let the cauliflower cool down.
  2. Place the cauliflower on a big bowl and add the salt, pepper, oregano, cheese of your choice, garlic (optional)  and the eggs. For best results; beat the eggs with a fork beforehand and then fold them into the mixture. Mix by hand until everything has been well absorbed.
  3. Line a non-stick pizza pan with parchment paper and brush some olive oil on the surface. I place the dough on the pizza pan and try my best to mold it into the shape of the pan. You could also use a non-stick cookie sheet and give your pizza a rectangular shape. The point being, shape does not matter.
  4. Go to town with your favorite toppings! For the picture on this recipe I used organic goat mozzarella, baby spinach, oyster mushrooms, truffle oil, and chilli flakes.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edge of the crust is slightly golden. Enjoy!!!

One thought on “Crumble-Proof Cauliflower Pizza Crust

  1. I think the Paleo diet is great. I am seeing and feeling the benefits of the diet for a long time now. Not only have I lost weight, but I feel much more energised, and much better in myself. I think the reason is that whilst the paleo diet may be a diet, I do actually eat much much varied food than I did previously. All I’ve done is taken out the stodge that my body finds hard to digest, and added more types of fruit, veg, and indeed meat.

    I’ve now actually taken an interest in cooking paleo meals, which I can guarentee is 100% better than throwing some ready meals in the oven like I used to.

    I’m a real foodie, and would not survive on any other diet, but Paleo has been very good for me. I’ve written about one of my favourite cookbooks: http://cookbook-reviews.net/review-the-paleo-grubs-book/

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