Looking for a delicious gluten-free pizza dough? This thin-crust pizza is full of flavour from sourdough fermentation. And it is strong enough to stand up to the weight of tons of ingredients without getting soggy or brittle.
Gluten-free Sourdough Crust
If you have kids, then pizza is probably one of your family’s favourite meals. However, gluten-free pizza typically has the flavour and texture of… well… cardboard. We’ve tried a number of takeout pizzas, ready-made pizza crusts (affiliate link) and quick crust recipes, and none of them compare to the deliciousness of a gluten-free sourdough thin crust pizza.
If you aren’t already a gluten-free sourdough fan, then I hope to convert you!
- It is really, really easy to make a gluten-free sourdough starter. If you use buckwheat or teff flour it only takes 24 hours! Just mix 1 1/2 cups of flour with 1 1/2 cups of water the day before you plan on making your pizza, and you’ll have a nicely soured starter.
- Sourdough brings a lot of flavour to otherwise bland gluten-free breads.
- Because the yeast and bacteria work to breakdown the complex carbs in the flour, gluten-free sourdough breads also have better texture without a ton of added starch.
A Few Alternative Gluten-Free Pizzas
We make pizza-inspired dinner nearly every week. While we LOVE traditional pizza, here are a few different pizza-like dishes that we also enjoy:
- Farinata is a chickpea flour flatbread. It is one of my go-to recipes because it’s full of protein and doesn’t require advance planning. And as a grain-free flatbread it is the only one that doesn’t leave me feeling sluggish.
- Polenta pizza crust is pretty darn easy. Particularly if you use instant polenta.
- Pizzaiola is a layered potato, tomato and cheese casserole that is pizza-flavoured.
- My flax and fiber pizza crust is soft, flavourful and lower in carbs. However, it doesn’t quite have the strength of this more traditional pizza crust.
Gluten-Free Sourdough Thin crust pizza dough
Looking for a delicious gluten-free sourdough pizza crust? Try this thin crust pizza dough. It is full of flavour from sourdough fermentation and can handle the weight of a ton of toppings. What more could you want in a pizza crust?!
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 large crusts 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sourdough
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups sourdough starter
- 1/4 tsp instant bread yeast (optional)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups gluten-free bread flour mix (see notes)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp Italian herbs (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the instant yeast into the sourdough starter. It’s not necessary, but it will boost the rise. Stir in the eggs and olive oil before adding in all the dry ingredients. It should be a fairly firm dough, so you may have to add a bit more flour depending on the feel. You want to be able to knead it together without it being dry.
- Allow the dough to sit somewhere warm for 2 to 12 hours. See notes for more details
- Divide the dough into 2-3 balls (depending on the size of your pizzas). Roll the crusts out on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and leave it to rise for 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, decorate the crust with your favourite toppings. Bake in a preheated 400F (200 C) oven for 15-20 min (until the cheese is melted and the dough is starting to brown).
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Feel free to use a store-bought gluten-free bread flour
(affiliate link) or use my gluten-free bread flour mix. The exact amount of flour required will depend on what is in the mix, so slowly add that last 1/2 cup of flour.
- Using instant yeast will make the dough rise within 2 hours. However, the dough will take 12 hours to rise if you using just sourdough for the yeast.
- Though the Italian herbs are optional they really add flavour to the crust. I use 1 tsp each of basil, oregano and thyme.
Keywords: gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free, 10 ingredients or less, spring, summer, fall, lunch, entree
I am getting ready to make this recipe. It sounds wonderful! Have you ever frozen the dough? Should I freeze it before it rises? Thanks!
There wasn’t enough liquid, so I added about 1 1/4 cup warm water. It turned out delicious!
Great! The liquid really depends on what type of flour you use and they hydration ratio of your starter. GF flours vary greatly on how they absorb liquid.
Could you make this egg free?
I haven’t made it without eggs. However, if you replaced the egg with another 2 tbsp of olive oil and added 2 tsp of xanthan gum it probably would work. I just haven’t tested it. 🙂
Love this friendly recipe! I’ve made this Herbed Sourdough 7 times and everyone loves it! Great way to use a mature starter.
★★★★★
Thanks!
Hi,
Thanks for the awesome gluten free recipes.
Is it ok to par bake the dough and freeze it
I’m sure that would work! I usually just freeze balls of dough, but I can see the appeal of an instant crust. Enjoy!
Thank you so much
★★★★★
Thank you so much. Pizza tasted heavenly. My family loved it. Instead of eggs I used olive oil and Gaur gum as you mentioned it in the comments. It’s awesome. Thank you for the blend.
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it!