Mediterranean Gluten-Free Thin-Crust Pizza

If you are looking for more of a traditional thin crispy crust, here you go. You will be pleasantly surprised. A few tips for a successful pizza: the dough will look wet, don’t panic! If you read the previous blog I mentioned that gluten free dough is a different animal, and I meant it. The dough will feel wet. I find it best to spray my hands with olive oil and pat the dough out on a parchment lined pizza pan. After you let the dough rest you will be surprised how much it firms up. First bake on the pizza pan on the stone, after 5 minutes or so slide the parchment and dough off the pan straight onto the tile.

• 3/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/3 cup quinoa flour
• 1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthum gum
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup milk plus 1/4 cup water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

In bowl of electric mixer, whisk together tapioca flour, white rice flour, quinoa flour, all purpose flour, xanthum gum, and salt.

In microwave lightly heat milk and water until warm but not hot to the touch, about 40 seconds (the mixture should register between 105°F and 115° F on candy thermometer). Stir in yeast and sugar. Add milk–yeast mixture, egg whites, and 2 tablespoons oil to dry ingredients and, using paddle attachment, beat at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until dough is very smooth and very thick, about 5 minutes.

Remove racks from oven, set pizza stone and preheat to 500°F. Preheat for at least 45 minutes.

Have ready a pizza pan lined with parchment paper. Scrape the dough onto parchment that has been lightly sprayed with olive oil. Spray four hands with olive oil and pat the dough to 1/4 inch thickness, with a 1/2-inch-thick border. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free place about 20 minutes.

Using baking peel, transfer 1 crust with parchment to preheated pizza stone and bake until top is puffed and firm and underside is crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Using baking peel and discarding parchment paper, transfer baked crust to pizza pan.

Mediterranean Pizza Toppings:

• fresh arugula
• sun dried tomatoes (pureed in food processor)
• thin asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
• red onion thinly sliced
• goat cheese crumbles
• toasted pine nuts or marcona almonds

Brush olive oil over crust. Layer starting with arugula and add rest of ingredients. Drizzle pizza with olive oil and place crust directly on stone. Cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.