Flour plays a significant role in the pizza dough recipe. For the pizza dough to rise and become light and fluffy, it needs structure and texture, which flour provides. However, refined flour is high in carbohydrates and provides few or no nutrients, which can be detrimental to your diet efforts in losing belly fat. Is this a reason to remove this delectable mealtime staple from your list of favorite foods? Not at all. There are many ways to enjoy pizza while maintaining your diet goals. You can start by crossing flour off your list of ingredients for making pizza dough and replacing it with healthier, more nutritious, and gluten-free alternatives.
Based on how you prepare them, gluten-free pizza crusts can still be crunchy while being much thinner than a traditional pizza crust. A variety of gluten-free flours, typically some kind of grain flour and either almond or coconut flour, are combined to create gluten-free pizza crusts.
Five Gluten-Free Alternatives To Flour
It has been proven that you don’t necessarily need regular flour for your pizza dough to come out perfectly. Here are ways to make your pizza dough without flour especially if you’re interested in nutrient-dense and healthier alternatives:
Cauliflower
If you want to make pizza dough without flour, this wonder vegetable is the best choice. Due to its high vitamin, mineral, and fiber content as well as low-calorie count, cauliflower has become a popular base for gluten-free pizzas. Cauliflower pizza dough comes out thin and crunchy, especially if you take time to squeeze out the liquid from your cauliflower rice.
How To Make Cauliflower Pizza Dough
Cauliflower rice, which consists of freshly prepared cauliflower florets that have been separated from their heads and grated, can also be purchased frozen or pre-riced. Pre-riced cauliflower is preferred because it requires less effort to prepare than raw cauliflower. However, fresh cauliflower has more flavor and will give your dough a firmer texture than pre-riced cauliflower when grated freshly. You can find prep methods and ingredients for cauliflower pizza crust here.
Instructions:
- Line your oven rack with parchment paper and preheat to about 400 degrees
- Put your prepared cauliflower rice in a mixing bowl and add eggs, cheese, and seasonings. Mix until it forms a consistent dough.
- Pour this mixture onto a baking sheet and roll it out to form a flat circle.
- Put it in the preheated oven, and bake it for about 25 to 35 minutes (using frozen cauliflower florets might increase baking time).
- Remove the baked pizza crust from the oven, top it with your preferred ingredients, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt.
Quinoa
Quinoa is an excellent source of plant-based nutrition and is a great substitute for wheat, rice, and other grains. The nine essential amino acids that our bodies are unable to produce on their own are all present in quinoa, making it a complete protein. It is also inherently gluten-free and can be consumed without risk by those who suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance. It contains higher concentrations of protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals than many grains do. Additionally, a significant amount of essential fatty acids, including both omega-3 and omega-6, are present in the seed oil. Added to all this, making your pizza dough with quinoa is super easy and you need just about 5 ingredients, including quinoa, water, baking powder, salt, and oil.
How to Make Quinoa Pizza Dough
This gluten-free, nutrient-packed alternative to flour can be made as pizza dough by following this procedure:
- Rinse thoroughly, drain and then soak the quinoa in water to soften it and make it easy to blend.
- 2. Using a food processor or blender, create a smooth batter by blending the soaked quinoa for about two minutes.
- In a mixing bowl or with a dough mixer, mix the batter with salt, 1 tbsp of baking powder, and 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Line your oven or pizza pan with parchment paper and use a brush to oil the paper and sides of the pan (this is to avoid your quinoa dough from sticking to the pan).
- Preheat your oven and you are set to bake!
Plantain
You can make your flour-free pizza dough with this excellent and straightforward alternative. With its stretchy, chewy texture and mouthwatering flavor that blends perfectly with the toppings of your choice, pizza dough made from plantains can almost be mistaken for traditional pizza dough. Only unripe plantains, a little bit of oil, and salt are required to make this delicious dough.
How To Make Plantain Pizza Dough
Simple and inexpensive ingredients are needed to make this dough that is rich in vitamin C. If you choose to use plantains instead of refined flour, here is a quick guide to making plantain pizza dough:
- Peel the plantain (use yellow but not so ripe plantain for better results)
- Use a food processor or blender to blend the peeled plantain until it forms a smooth batter.
- Add eggs and spices (dried garlic and dried oregano) to the batter and blend until it is thoroughly mixed.
- Line your baking rack or pan with parchment paper, brush with olive oil and sprinkle cornmeal.
- Pour the batter on the parchment paper and use a spatula to flatten it out.
- Preheat the oven and bake
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Eggplant
Eggplants are your best option if you’re looking for a delicious gluten-free substitute for flour. They are low in carbohydrates and can be added to a variety of dishes, including savory appetizers and sweet desserts. In addition to being a great source of minerals like manganese, copper, magnesium, and potassium, eggplants are also high in fiber and low in calories.
How To Make Eggplant Pizza Dough
For this dough, you only need eggplants, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to make a flourless eggplant pizza dough:
- Slice the eggplant into two and brush each side with olive oil.
- Grill them over medium heat until they are slightly charred.
- Set them on an oven rack or tray and add tomato sauce, cheese, and any other topping of your choice.
- Set the oven to about 100 degrees and bake for 10 minutes.
Lentils
Lentils are well known for having incredible nutritional benefits. When making pizza dough, they are yet another wonderful substitute for flour. Lentils offer a simple and delicious way to make vegan, gluten-free, and healthy pizza, with the added benefit of requiring less preparation time than traditional pizza dough.
How To Make Lentils Pizza Dough
This crust is amazingly simple to prepare:
- Before blending, soak the lentils for at least four hours in water (This ensures digestibility and also improves the crust’s outcome).
- Drain the lentils and blend with little water, garlic, and seasonings until it forms a smooth batter.
- Pour your batter into an oiled pan and bake.
Final thoughts
Pizza can be consumed in various ways without adding flour to the dough. Zucchini, chickpeas, beat, sweet potatoes, and portobello mushrooms are a few additional substitutes. Without the unhealthy carbs that come with using traditional wheat flour, these non-flour crust options still offer the crunch and flavor of a traditional pizza. Whichever one satisfies your craving for pizza the best, you can eat with confidence knowing that you are maintaining a healthy lifestyle while still indulging in your favorite mealtime staple.
