GF Spinach and Goat Cheese Pizza Recipe

Packing and moving is hard work.  The last thing you want to eat after a day of wrapping dishes, stuffing boxes, and hauling stuff is something complicated and pretentious.  

At the end of the day, my husband and I sat down on the floor (because we had sold our only futon ages ago), totally wiped out, and said we needed some easy comfort food.  

Almost in chorus, we both instantly thought of the same thing – pizza!

There is something so satisfying about pizza, and yet it is one of the most elusive foods for gluten free folk.  That is because of the crust.  

Traditional pizza dough relies on the gluten in the dough to hold it together – that’s why you can spin it up in the air and it will stretch and grow, and won’t fall apart or tear on you.  

All the elastic properties of pizza dough that allow one to create a large thing circle of crust goodness are due to my husbands evil enemy, gluten.

I am not so expert at baking to think that I could develop my own pizza crust recipe.  So I rely on other gluten free baking greats to come up with great recipes, and I will just cook them.

This crust is a particularly good rendition – besides, did I ever mention that Jill of Hey That Tastes Good is my GF baking idol?  

This is yet another awesome recipe of hers, GF pizza crust.  And in the spirit of moving ourselves (her post here is about moving as well), I thought it was only appropriate to make her “Moving Pizza”.  

Notice the paper towel for a plate? haha.  That is what you do when you realized that you packed all your plates.

Gluten Free Spinach and Goat Cheese Pizza Recipe

Ingredients (makes 2 pizzas):

For the crust

• 3/4 cup tapioca flour (or arrowroot powder)
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 2/3 cup sorghum flour
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 package yeast
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• Just under 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For simple marinara sauce:

• 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• Half a dozen or so roma or plum tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 2 tbs. italian herbs/pizza seasoning (oregano, basil, majoram, red pepper flakes)
• Salt/pepper

For the toppings (vary these ingredients/amounts as you see fit):

• Handful of crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup fresh arugula
• 2 oz. goat cheese
• Small amount of olive oil for drizzling

Proper Directions:

Step 1.

Preheat oven to 400F.  Mix together ingredients according to Jill’s directions on her post.  I did not use an electric mixer,

I just used my hands.  Make sure to let dough rest for 20 minutes before rolling! I am finding more and more that GF dough always needs to rest.  

Even if it is a dough that does not require a rising time, it needs to sit for a bit to allow it to come together.

**Essential GF Baking Tip**

Tip for rolling out the pizza dough (or any GF dough for that matter)- place well rested dough on parchment paper, and then place plastic wrap on top of dough.  Now you should be able to use a rolling pin (gently) to roll out to desired thickness without having it fall apart or tear on you.  You may need to readjust the seran wrap from time to time as you are rolling the dough.

Step 2.

Leave your rolled out dough to rise some more.  While rising, make the sauce – saute onions on high in olive oil, and once transclucent, add in your tomatoes and herbs.  

Keep sauce on a rather high setting and stir often.  I actually started the sauce once I had let the dough rest for the first time, so there was a total of about 30 minutes cooking time.  

This is not going to get you a dark thick pasta sauce like you would buy in a jar, it is just going to be a simple and flavorful taste of fresh tomato on your pizza.

Step 3.

Once rolled out pizza dough has rested for another 15 minutes at least, remove the plastic wrap and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, just before it’s all the way done – definitely before it starts to brown.  

Then add on your toppings, and back for another 3-5 minutes more.  You know when it is done when the crust is crunchy.

My Experience

Yummy! It’s really exciting that I have just discovered a gluten-free goat cheese pizza recipe that works for me…but I cheat, and use Pamela’s Baking Mix. (we all gotta start somewhere, right?)

This looks delicious though, I might have to try this version. I did discover that same trick for rolling out GF dough – only I use 2 sheets of parchment paper! Works like a charm.