Gluten-Free Thin Crust Pizza Dough

The easiest way to make this dough is to use warm-to-the-touch tap water to foam the yeast. But if you don’t trust your touch and wish to use a thermometer, water heated to between 100 to 110 F (37 to 43 C) works best.

Fill cup with the warm water, sprinkle in yeast and sugar. DO NOT STIR. Jiggle cup to immerse granules. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to foam 10 minutes while preparing pan and dough.

Line 11 x 17-inch (28 X 42 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush or rub one tablespoon of the olive oil onto parchment. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix together dry ingredients, making well in middle. Using rubber spatula, scrape all foamed yeast mixture into dry mixture. Stir until loose, smooth dough forms. It will be midway between a batter and dough. If mixture is too dry, mix in an additional teaspoon or two of warm water.

Stir in remaining tablespoon olive oil until dough is glossy. Use rubber spatula to spread into a 10 X 16-inch (25 X 40-cm) rectangle and 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick layer on the oiled parchment (the olive oil helps bottom crust turn crispy).

Note: This crust will rise only very slightly so bear this in mind as you spread the dough over the parchment. Also, gluten-free dough will not brown as much as gluten doughs. If you wish to have a more golden look, brush edges of crust (where crust will be bare of tomato sauce) with olive oil before baking.

Parbake crust 10 minutes on middle rack of preheated 450 F (230 C) oven before adding toppings. Note: To top pizza, spread 1 cup (250 mL) tomato sauce on crust, plus 1 cup (250 mL) your choice of grated cheese(s), and assorted meats and veggies.

After parbaking 10 minutes, add toppings and return pizza to 450 F (230 C) oven to bake another 15 minutes, or lift bottom crust to check when it is lightly golden.

Remove pizza from oven. Slice and serve while crispy and hot. Makes one 10 X 16-inch (25 X 40-cm) gluten-free, thin-crust pizza.