Caputo Gluten-Free Flour Pizza Recipe: the BEST Pizza Crust

Oh, my goodness! I could not believe how amazing the gluten-free pizza in Italy tasted! It was, without exaggeration, as good as gluten pizza. When I learned the secret of these delicious gluten-free pizzas, Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour, I could not wait to try it at home.

Truly, this flour is revolutionary for those on a gluten-free diet. It perfectly meets the need when you are longing for the gluten pizzas of your past. Everything, from the smell to the taste and texture, is all that you remember about really good pizza.

The smell is so nostalgic that I find myself leaning over the mixer, inhaling the scent of the dough, and being transported to the soft pretzels and bread and pizzas of my childhood. Be prepared for more than just pizza, but rather a sentimental experience. This is especially true for those of us with celiac disease who have gone years without (intentionally) ingesting gluten.

Every gluten-free flour blend has its own baking/cooking strengths, but Caputo gluten-free flour is hands down the best gluten-free flour for a perfectly crispy and chewy crust with the taste and texture of a traditional Italian pizza.

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This awesome gluten-free pizza dough recipe is easy enough for a novice chef, but works much better with a few pro tools: stand mixer with a dough hook, pizza stone, and parchment paper. You can work around those things, but you cannot make this pizza without Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour.

Caputo Fioreglut: Gluten-Free, but Not Wheat-Free

How can this be? At first glance, the label on this package can be confusing. It has gluten-free in the name, has a gluten-free seal from Italy, and declares that it meets the FDA requirements for gluten-free.

Yet, the ingredients are: "gluten-free wheat starch, dextrose, maize starch, buckwheat flour, rice starch, psyllium seed fiber, thickener: guar; flavoring."

Surprisingly, Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour is gluten-free, but not wheat-free.

Here are the important highlights:

• Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to the gluten-protein, which is a part of wheat, barley, and rye grains. Ingestion of the gluten portion of the grain triggers an autoimmune response in individuals with celiac disease. Celiacs must maintain a completely gluten-free diet, which is the only current treatment for celiac disease.
• Wheat starch is heavily processed, and the gluten-containing protein is removed.
• For wheat starch to be considered safe for individuals with celiac disease, it must test below 20ppm.
• The Fioreglut Caputo Gluten-Free Flour bears the Senza Gluten (Gluten-Free) seal of the Ministerio de la Salute (Ministry of Health) in Italy and a gluten-free claim that it "meets FDA requirements for gluten-free foods." The flour must test below 20ppm to have each of those claims on its label.
• Wheat starch is not safe for individuals with a wheat allergy.

More details on gluten-free wheat starch can be found in this article, so you can make your own informed decision.

Step-by-Step Directions for Caputo Gluten-Free Flour Pizza Recipe: the BEST Pizza Crust

Make the Pizza Dough

Mix the entire bag (1000g or 2.2 lb ) of Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour, instant yeast, warm water, and salt in a stand mixer with the dough hook on #2 speed for five minutes.

You can halve this recipe to make two pizzas or quarter it for just one. If you do reduce the recipe, I recommend using a kitchen scale to accurately measure out 250g of Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour.

But I highly recommend making the whole (1000g or 2.2 lb.) bag. It's the same amount of work to make the dough for one pizza or for four, and the dough you don't use today can be frozen and defrosted for your next Pizza Night!

Use one package of instant yeast. I use Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast. Instant yeast does not require proofing. Simply add it to the mixer bowl with the flour, warm water, and salt and mix on #2 speed.

A stand mixer makes this job a breeze. You can use a dough hook or a flat paddle, in a pinch. Both should come with your mixer, but a flat paddle will require stopping occasionally to scrape the dough down. Gluten-free dough, in particular, loves to "climb the paddle".

Mixing by hand is an option, but it requires a lot of elbow grease to mix this dough for a total of seven minutes.

Add olive oil and mix on lowest speed for two minutes.

Again, you'll be thankful for a stand mixer. Simply add olive oil, lower to speed #1, and continue mixing dough for two more minutes.

Let the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

The dough will rise.

Divide dough into four balls, wrap in plastic and return to the fridge in an airtight container for 3-24 hours. After a minimum of three hours, freeze the dough balls you do not plan to use within 24 hours.

Use a light dusting of an affordable gluten-free flour blend, rice flour, or a little cornstarch to prevent the dough from sticking to your counter or hands while dividing the dough and forming the four dough balls.

The texture will be similar to traditional dough and easy to work with when making balls. But, it will not be "stretchy" like gluten-containing dough. The scent, though, is identical to traditional dough.

Wrap each ball separately with plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container for a minimum of three hours before continuing with the recipe.

The dough balls can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

After at least three hours in the fridge, package any dough balls you do not intend to use within 24 hours in a freezer-safe bag.

Freeze for up to three months. When ready to use, defrost for 12 hours in the fridge or 4 hours on the counter.

Prepare the Gluten-Free Pizza

You can make all four pizzas at once, or save some in the freezer for later. The following instructions are for making one pizza crust, but you can repeat the steps to make 2-4 pizzas.

Place a pizza stone in the oven. Preheat oven to 550°.

You can make this pizza on a pan, but the small cost of investing in a pizza stone is worthwhile, especially if you plan to make pizza at home again. And you will definitely want to make this pizza again.

The only thing better than a pizza stone is a pizza oven, like this portable Ooni pizza oven, which gives you the perfect gluten-free pizza crust. You can get very close, though, with a pizza stone and your home oven cranked up to 550°.

Lay a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Press or roll the dough ball to form it into an approximately 12" round pizza crust. Add a dusting of inexpensive gluten-free flour as needed to keep the crust workable while forming the crust.

The parchment paper helps to keep the dough from sticking to your work surface, making it easy to move it from the counter to the preheated pizza stone.

When using flour to dust your work surface, the dough, or your hands, there is no need to waste expensive flour. Use your least expensive gluten-free flour. You are only using a small dusting, so not enough flour will be mixed into your dough to affect the taste or texture.

I also like to rub a little olive oil on my hands to prevent the dough from sticking to my hands while forming the crust.

Trim parchment paper to prevent charring and transfer the formed crust to the pizza stone. Bake for 5 minutes at 550°.

Oven temperatures vary. It's okay if your oven only reaches 500°. Your crust won't be quite as crispy on the outside, but it will be close. If baking the crust at 500°, increase the bake time to 7-8 minutes.

Remove crust from oven. Remove parchment paper from between the crust and pizza stone. Add your favorite sauce and toppings.

Pick your favorite gluten-free sauce: tomato-based pizza sauce (I often use canned tomato sauce and add a little powdered garlic and dried oregano, basil, and parsley), alfredo sauce, or pesto sauce. Alternatively, brush olive oil on the crust.

Add mozzarella, fontina, parmesan, feta, or your favorite cheese, or omit the cheese to make a "tomato pie".

Throw on your choice of toppings, such as:

• thinly sliced mushrooms
• thinly sliced bell peppers
• thinly sliced onions
• sliced black olives
• fresh basil leaves
• thinly sliced pepperoncini
• gluten-free pepperoni
• gluten-free Italian sausage (cooked)
• thinly sliced ham

Return the pizza and pizza stone to the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

Enjoy the BEST gluten-free pizza outside of Italy!