The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking (10 page)

The allure of this recipe is the embedded cheese, along with the rich flavor imparted by chicken or vegetable broth. In fact, this crust can be eaten without any toppings as a delicious herbed cheese crisp, but it’s even better with your favorite pizza toppings. (For topping ideas, see
Other Pizza and Focaccia Toppings
). Be sure to have about 1 tablespoon olive oil on hand for dipping your fingers prior to shaping your pizza crust.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Brush the surface of a 12-inch round pizza pan with olive oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the sunflower seed flour, soy flour, baking powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme and whisk until well mixed. Stir in the cheeses and stir the mixture to distribute the cheese. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and broth together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a thick, sticky dough (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Transfer the dough to the center of the prepared pan. Using oiled fingers, press it out to evenly fill the pan, making the edges slightly thicker if you like. Prick the surface every 1 to 2 inches to help prevent bubbles and air pockets during baking. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch, with blisters of melted cheese all over.

You can immediately top the crust with your favorite toppings or top it later. To bake the topped pizza, preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until any cheese has melted or until the toppings are heated through and cooked to your liking. Slice and serve immediately.

This crust is easy to make and has traditional pizza flavors baked right in, so you can even eat it as pizza bread, without toppings and perhaps dipped in marinara sauce. Of course, it’s also excellent with toppings. We recommend caramelized onions or sautéed or roasted bell peppers. (For more topping ideas, see
Other Pizza and Focaccia Toppings
.)

Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Mist a 12-inch round pizza pan or, for a thinner crust, a 12-inch square baking pan with spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the sunflower seed flour, soy flour, baking powder, salt, basil, garlic, and red pepper flakes and whisk until well mixed. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg whites and tomato juice together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a thick, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Transfer the dough to the center of the prepared pan. Using oiled fingers, press it out to evenly fill the pan, making the edges slightly thicker if you like.

Prick the surface with a fork every 1 to 2 inches to help prevent bubbles and air pockets during baking. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate and bake for 10 minutes, just until the dough firms up and starts to brown.

You can immediately top the crust with your favorite toppings or top it later. To bake the topped pizza, preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Bake for 6 to 10 minutes, until any cheese has melted or until the toppings are heated through and cooked to your liking. Slice and serve immediately.

You can use store-bought marinara sauce or other tomato sauces for pizzas and focaccias. But if you would like to make your own, the flavors will be fresher and brighter; plus, you can tweak them to your liking. Here’s our favorite recipe for a crushed tomato sauce, from Peter’s book
American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza
. This sauce couldn’t be easier to put together. It doesn’t even require any cooking, as the canned tomatoes are already cooked and the sauce will be heated during baking. The flavors of the herbs and garlic will intensify during baking, so resist the urge to add more. If you’d like to use this sauce with pasta, simply heat it in a saucepan.

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, pepper, and salt. Taste and add more salt as desired; the amount needed will vary depending on the brand of tomatoes used. Stored in an airtight container, the sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.

Pesto is a sprightly sauce to use on pizza and focaccia, and with many other dishes as well. This is Peter’s favorite version, but feel free to play with the recipe. To get you started, we’ve included several variations. Just one caveat: Don’t use packaged grated cheese. For optimum flavor and best results, the cheese should be freshly grated.

Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 20 seconds, just to help tame the flavor. Immediately transfer the garlic and oil to a separate dish.

Put the basil, 1 cup olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a food processor. Add the garlic and its cooking oil and process until smooth. The pesto should be thick but spreadable. If it’s too thick, add more olive oil; if it’s too thin, add more cheese.

Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the pesto will keep for about 1 week. If the top surface darkens, this is just oxidation—simply stir the dark layer on top back into the bright green pesto underneath. If you freeze pesto, it will remain bright green until you thaw it, but then it will darken throughout (more oxidation). You can still use it, but it won’t be as vibrant looking. Still, dark pesto is better than no pesto at all, and you can brighten it up by stirring in a little more lemon juice.

Of the five gluten-free, sugar-free focaccia recipes we offer in this book, this one is most similar to traditional wheat flour versions featuring an herbed oil topping. The high proportion of flaxseed meal gives it a creamy interior texture, along with a wide array of nutritional benefits. We call for both dried and fresh basil in the herbed oil because each adds distinctive flavor characteristics. It doesn’t really need any topping beyond what is called for, but as with all focaccias, you can add any number of other toppings. (For tips on topping focaccia with cheese, see
Other Pizza and Focaccia Toppings
.)

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat, then mist the bottom and sides with spray oil (preferably olive oil cooking spray).

To make the herbed oil, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.

To make the dough, combine the flaxseed meal, almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a large bowl and whisk until well mixed. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir the milk and liquid stevia together.

Put the egg whites in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment at medium-high speed (or a strong arm with a sturdy whisk—and good endurance), beat the eggs for 3 to 5 minutes, until fairly stiff peaks form.