Oat Pizza Crust (Gluten-Free)

This recipe comes from the cookbook, 250 Gluten-Free Favorites by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt.  This is easy to make and it has become our regular pizza crust recipe, one that we use close to every week.  One of the great things about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time.  We served "make your own pizza" at our daughter's 14th birthday and I made all of the crusts ahead of time, making it very easy to use.   

For this extra large pizza, I made two varieties.  The first one had turkey pepperoni, sauteed onions, mushrooms, yellow peppers, mozzarella, and oregano.  The second one had barbecue sauce, chicken, peppers, and pineapple.  One of our favourites is a vegetarian pizza with pesto, sauteed onions, peppers, mushrooms, feta cheese, mozzarella, and oregano.  If you are avoiding gluten, you have to be very careful and check all of your ingredients.

As I indicated previously the pizza crusts can be made ahead of time.  The crusts can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 4 weeks.  Thaw in fridge overnight before using.   

Individual pizzas made by the teenagers at the birthday party

Here are some pictures of the partially baked crusts.  I cut them down to allow for individual pizzas.

You can see that his is definitely a thin crust

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups GF oat flour (I make my own by putting GF old fashioned rolled oats in a food processor)

1/4 cup potato flour (not potato starch)

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1 tsp. white sugar

2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 Tb. instant yeast

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups water

1 Tb. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. cider vinegar

Method

1.  In a large bowl or plastic bag, combine oat flour, potato flour, tapioca starch, sugar xanthan gum, yeast and salt.  Mix well and set aside.  I like to use a whisk to ensure that all of the ingredients are mixed.

2.  In a separate bowl, using a heavy-duty electric mixer with paddle attachment, combine water, oil and vinegar until well blended.  With the mixer on lowest speed, slowly add the dry ingredients until combined.  Stop the machine and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  With the mixer on medium speed, beat for 4 minutes.

3.  Gently transfer dough to prepared pan (lightly greased pizza pan) and, using a moistened rubber spatula, spread evenly to the edges.  Do not smooth top.

 

4.  Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until bottom is golden and crust is partially baked.

One batch makes one 12-inch pizza.  This can easily be doubled.

Variation:  Add 2 tsp. dried oregano with the dry ingredients.

 

To make pizza, add your favourite toppings and bake until crust is brown and crisp and top is bubbly.

The dough will be sticky.  As indicated, you can use a wet spatula to smooth the dough or you can lightly grease sarah wrap, place on top of dough and roll with rolling pin.  Remove wrap when done.