Here’s a recipe for pizza crust that you can actually hold in your hands.
That’s what we lose when we eliminate wheat: the viscoelasticity of wheat gluten, the quality that provides wheat’s food portability. It allows you to stuff a pita full of ingredients, hold a sandwich between your hands, deliver a slice of pizza into your mouth.
This recipe yields a pizza crust sturdy enough to hold in your hands. As written, it will make a 12-inch round pizza crust.
Ingredients:
2 cups ground almonds
4 tablespoons garbanzo bean flour
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of sea salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In food processor or food chopper, pulse or chop mozzarella cheese until becomes granular size.
In large bowl, mix ground almonds, garbanzo bean flour, mozzarrella cheese, flaxseed, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir in eggs, olive oil, and water and mix thoroughly.
Spread large sheet of parchment paper over a cookie sheet. Place dough on parchment paper. Spread a second sheet of parchment paper on top of tough and flatten with rolling pin into desired shape and size. Feel around edges to gauge thickness.
Remove top layer of parchment paper carefully. Use spatula to form crust edge.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove and top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, chopped peppers, spinach, sliced sausage (uncured), etc. and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Lena, Garbanzo Bean Flour is also called Chick Pea Flour, if that helps. If you can’t find it at a health food store where you live in OZ, it’s available on-line at nuts.com
Just made this for tea and it was lovely!
I did have to use coconut flour instead of garbanzo bean flour as I have no idea where to get that in the UK. Also used some dried herbs instead of the garlic and onion powder as I don’t have those either. Seemed a little wet so I added some more ground almond and it came out really well :-)
This is the closest thing to pizza I have eaten so far! Only been wheat free for 3 weeks and so far so good – long may it last.
Yummy in the tummy—-this pizza crust is so good! I printed the recipe months ago, but finally used it to make pizza for our supper tonight. I didn’t have the garbanzo flour, so I just added extra almond flour. It worked perfectly. I baked the crust an additional 10 minutes before putting on the toppings, but perhaps my oven temp is different. Sure is nice to have a fantastic, guilt-free pizza; so thank you, Dr. Davis!
I tried this recipe for our family movie night tonight. While I can’t say I loved it 100% (it’s going to take me a few tries to get used to the texture I think) but it was the best grain-free pizza crust I’ve tried so far and my kids gobbled it up. It has been fairly easy for me to give up wheat since I read your book but harder on the kids. I am happy to have options like this for them.
Hi Dr Davis
I’m loving the idea of a wheat-free pizza base but do you have an eggless version as I am allergic to eggs? What would be a good substitute for eggs? Many thanks.
How about some chia seeds, e.g, 1 tablespoon?
I will most definitely give that a try. Many thanks
I.ve not tried this yet, but when I do, I plan to use flax “egg” (1tbs ground flax + 3tbs water, then let sit for 5 minutes to gel. This= 1 egg). Hope that helps!
If you venture into an Indian market or store, chickpea flour will be relatively cheap and may be labelled gram flour, ceci, chana or besan. It is also used to make “socca” in southern France.
I just googled chickpea flour, and you can just grind it yourself with a food processor, the seive out the big bits. Sounds pretty easy, and economical.
I made this for dinner tonight – I had one small piece and was so full – I couldn’t believe it! I am very shocked at the taste. I think you could use the crust itself and make biscuits – although they would be dense with a little butter or cheese would be great!
Yes, indeed!
The very same recipe for pizza crust can be used to make a very nice flatbread or biscuits.
Hi, Dr. Davis, I LOVE Wheat Belly, thank you! I’m feeling (& looking) so much better! And I also wanted to say the fact that you answer your questions on here is stellar! How awesome is that!
Can Almond flour be used instead of ground almonds in this recipe? I’m new to all of these ingredients…
Thank you so much!
Thanks, Molly!
Yes, almond flour and ground almonds/meal are virtually interchangeable. Sometimes a small adjustment in quantity of liquid may need to be made, but usually just replacing and following the recipe as written works.
Hello Dr. Davis,
Thank you so much for all your wonderful info. Looking forward to this new life :-).
Question regarding the pizza crust…. Do you by chance have the nutritional information? I am also thing my carbs and just curious on the calorie count too…
Thanks again for being available to all us newbies :-)
Hi, Ana–
Right or wrong, I’ve left off nutritional analysis to discourage calorie or fat gram counting.
All recipes posted here are wheat-free and low- or very limited in carbohydrate content. Note that almonds have a low “net” carbohydrate content, i.e., total carbs minus fiber.
Just bought and read your book this weekend. I wish I could of had this information years ago. Thanks for all your hard word and the wonderful information. I made the pizza from your book and even my picky kids ate it. I have an unrelated question about the coconut milk you mention in other recipes. Are you referring to the kind in a can, or the refrigerated kind or the one that’s not refrigerated in a box?
Thanks,
Carissa
The default variety of coconut milk is the canned variety, the thicker variety that is more baking-friendly to introduce body and structure.
The carton variety is better as a drink to replace, say, cow’s milk.
Love this pizza crust recipe! Like it even better with 1 1/2 tsp. bkg. powder added as it makes a softer but still firm enough to hold in your hand crust. Thank you for brightening our weekend menu!
I have been diligently going over the book for the past 2 weeks…and eliminated wheat immediately but only fully began the transformation to low carb 8 days ago and I have lost a total of 6 lbs so far. I absolutely love the Eggplant three cheese recipe…I have made it 2 times already…so I have enough to last a few days…sometimes I have it for breakfast. I know you emphasize people with kidney stones need to be cautious…since I have reoccurring oxalate stones and have to limit my intake of certain foods (not eliminate them) I found some research that suggests taking Potassium Magnesium Citrate in a capsule form and Vitamin B6 in order to compensate for eating some foods that are high oxalate in content and I just ordered them . Hopefully this will help to eliminate some stones from forming. It seemed logical to me since my urologist always makes me drink Cytra-K crystals 3 times daily for one month which contain loads of Potassium citrate and then my stones totally disappear. Of course I drink loads of water and take Allopuronol daily as well. Anyway, I am wondering if the initial 6 lbs lost will continue at a slower rate (?) until my body readjusts itself to this new way of eating…or should I have lost more. My osteo-arthritis pain has diminished a great deal and my bouts with constipation, etc. have also disappeared….and my belly is no longer bulging out like it did…I am beginning a walking regime next week…approximately 3 miles daily on my treadmill. Thank you for this most enlightening book and I am looking forward to the cookbook due out in December.
Thanks, Maria!
While the majority of people lose weight rapidly, some do not or do so in fits and starts.
Stay the course, Maria, and let some time pass to allow your body to readjust to this new lifestyle.
Thank you so much Dr. Davis. That is exactly what I thought. After all the years of consuming soooo much wheat based products (which are really stressed on other eating plans)…well, I am sure my body is trying to detox itself. I do intend to stay the course as I don’t ever recall having eaten this well. All the foods that got such a bad rap throughout the years because of the so called “bad fat” I am now rediscovering and eating with a new found joy and respect. And I welcome the opportunity of using creativity as a challenge of trying to find new ways of preparing meals. Tonight I am making a Roast Pork Tenderloin stuffed with chopped Almonds and Pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan chess, oregano and basil and just a touch of either crushed Red Pepper or ground Black Pepper with an Extra Virgin Olive Oil Rub….and some of the garlic asparagus from your book. Am still trying to educate myself and navigate around the Oxalate food situation…it is a bit tricky but I think it can be manageable. Will check in in a few weeks with my progress…thank you so much for taking the time to respond.
Loved the Pizza crust. It took a lot longer to bake than indicated on instructions, and yes I checked the temp.
Also, it was very sticky and hard to get the top parchment paper off, after rolling it out.
Any additional help would be appreciated. Thanks, Minnie
Not sure, Minnie, but it sounds like too much liquid.
Try just a bit less liquid and/or more almond flour/meal to start. You could also refrigerate the dough for 10-15 minutes prior to removing the parchment.
I love this crust! Since there’s only two of us, this was an easy recipe to halve. One of my all time favorite pizza to make at home is something I gleaned from the Pillsbury Bakeoff Contest. It is the Blue Cheese Proscuitto Appetizer Pizza by Natalie Albert of Wilton Manors, FL. (Bakeoff Contest #43, 2008)
Since this recipe is now the property of Pillsbury, I’m not sure if I can post the recipe here, but hopefully they still have it available for copying on their website. Since this is a recipe using thinly sliced proscuitto, an easy way to slice paper thin slices of proscuitto is to freeze slices briefly, roll, then thinly sliced into ribbons. The recipe also calls for 1/3 cup of Apricot Preserves. Last year I found Nature’s Valley sugar free (Xylitol sweetened) Apricot Preserves, and they worked out fine in this recipe. We find the NV preserves taste even better than the standard stuff you find in the supermarket. At $5.00/10 oz. jar, it’s not the most expensive food I’ve ever purchased, but it’s nice for a little splurge, and frankly I’m worth it!
I forgot to say that I’m also experimenting with freezing this and have been initially successful. I made a halved recipe, shaping it into a 10″x12″ rectangle. I lke this size b/c it’s just right for my husband and I, and it’s easier to measure (8 squares). I baked it at the recommended 350 F for 20 minutes. I took it out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature. I then found a piece of cardboard and cut it to fit the pizza crust (to add support). I wrapped it tightly with Press-n-Seal and then some aluminum foil, dated it and stuck it in the freezer.
Unfortunately, it only sat in the freezer for about a day b/4 I used it again. However, this is what I did and it turned out great! I placed a pizza stone in the oven and set the temperature to 400 F. I unwrapped the crust and allowed it to thaw while I prepared the toppings. When the oven was ready, I slipped the pizza onto the pizza stone, along with the parchment paper and baked it for exactly 10 minutes at 400 F. It was perfect! I love this crust. Thank you so much Dr. Davis. I’m really looking forward to that new cookbook!
Have just bought your book and started reading it. Seems a little overwhelming and confusing.
As a type 2 diabetic and having spoken to a dietician, its a little hard to figure out what to eat for breakfast.
I have been eating multigrain cheeros and rye toast. Now I find out that it is not good. What would be your suggestion.
Easy, Norma: Recognize that the dietitian gives you a diet that CAUSES diabetes, or causes your diabetes to become much worse. You will complain that you’ve gained a lot of weight around your waist, your blood sugars are going higher, and your HbA1c is worse. The dietitian will then either blame you for not sticking to the diet she advised and/or progression of your disease. This is patent BS.
Please read all the stories here and on the Wheat Belly Facebook page from people with diabetes who are cutting or stopping their medication, many no longer diabetic, just by following these principles.
Hi!
I’ve been wheat free for a week and really notice a difference in how I feel. However, the last 2 days I’ve been getting headaches…..especially when I stand up from a sitting position. Is this caused by thr wheat withdrawal?
Thanks!
Hello. My mom told me about this a few weeks ago and seems to make sense so I have elimated all wheat and am following very closely to guideline. As a mother of 2 and recently diagnosed with non Hodgins disease I thought it may help. Few questions tho.
Can I eat basic sushi (not tempura)
Are Italian imported noodles ok in moderation?
Thank you!!
The rice in sushi is a much more benign grain, Donna. Though don’t go overboard, as the carb load can accumulate fairly quickly. Reach for the sashimi and pickled vegetables instead!
The noodles from Italy are virtually identical: no better, no worse . . . meaning really, really bad!
Thank you so much for this recipe! Saturday night homemade pizza has been our tradition for several years and now we can continue it. Once the topping are on it, I can hardly tell it’s not a wheat crust.
I adjusted the cooking time; we always cook our pizzas at 500 degrees for just a few minutes. I baked at 500 degrees for 3 minutes and then broiled it for 2 after the initial baking and adding toppings. Delicious!
Is it crispier with that technique, LorLor?
I’m not trying to nay-say, because I actually have been following a low-carb lifestyle for some time now and thoroughly enjoy my success with it. Along with your book: Wheat Belly, my other nutritional favorites are Good Calories, Bad Calories and The Jungle Effect. However, I am absolutely confused on how the majority of italian and french people that I know consume carbs daily and still are very thin. I spent a significant amount of time in Europe – mainly Germany, Italy and France – and was hard pressed to find an obese person, let alone hundreds. If the wheat in their pastas and breads is the same as ours here, and this is what we’re supposed to stay away from, how are Americans so much more obese than these European groups? My first thought was portion size, but in your book, you said even a small amount of wheat can be harmful. How is this conundrum happening?
I believe there are several factors at work: Greater intake of oils/fats, which partially mitigates wheat’s effects; the greater reliance on traditional methods of bread preparation, e.g., aging dough and sourdough fermentation; and continued partial reliance on older strains of wheat, such as 19th century strains, emmer, and farro.
However, note that there is far more to the wheat conversation than weight. While the Italians and French are indeed experiencing national weight gain, though to a much lesser degree than the U.S., they are experiencing other health consequences of wheat consumption, including an explosion in diabetes, acid reflux, and other conditions at least partially attributable to wheat.
I experimented with the pizza crust and found that leaving out the eggs and using ground flax seeds and a bit of water yields a crisper crust. Wetting your hands to shape the dough into the pan releases the dough without having to use a sheet of plastic or wax paper. The equivalent for one egg is 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoon water.
Great variation, Alecia! Thanks for posting.
I started the paleo diet, which is wheat and grain free, eliminating all processed foods and adding grassfed pastured products about 16 months ago because of severe acid reflux. I had to sleep sitting up. I have never been overweight but lost 10 pounds very quickly and stabilized, but most importantly I was back in my bed within a week and have had great health and immunity and take no medication. I was so happy to see you on Dr. Oz. Recently I have tried using small amounts of Einkorn wheat pasta, which is an ancient grain and wondered if you have any thoughts on that. I tried making a sourdough from it without success but will try again.
When I try to eliminate wheat or carbs from my diet, I always have headaches for 3 days or so. Is this withdrawal? What does this mean with regard to my body and wheat or carbs? Thanks.
Yes, a very common phenomenon. It is withdrawal from the gliadin opiate in wheat typically involving headaches, nausea, weakness, fatigue, and depression, not unlike withdrawal from other opiates.
But, once you are through it, you are freed from the bonds of this addictive grain!
oops, meant to say almond flour :)
I am wondering if you can substitute ground almonds for almond flour and if so how much flour do you use?
Dear Dr. Davis,
I am half way finished reading your book, saw you on Dr. Oz, and went through 3 days of headaches (ouch!) to remove the wheat addiction from my brain…. and now I feel fantastic! So, thank you!
Here’s my question. I am sensitive to nuts and cannot eat them, but am dying to make your pizza dough, along with some of the other breads. How do you suppose we make the dough/bread without almond flour? I have preordered your cookbook, so you may already address this issue in there. For now, any insights on what I (along with others allergic/sensitive to nuts) can substitute for almond flour?
Looking forward to many wheat-free days ahead. Again, thank you for your research!
Great, Mackenzie!
Think about flours ground from pumpkin, sunflower, or sesame seeds; ground golden flaxseed; chia; garbanzo bean flour. The recipes need to be adjusted, depending on your specific mix of flours.
Dr. Davis,
I saw you on Dr Oz and ordered your book. I was delighted to find the information was presented in an easily understood way. I loved the book and have since bought 6 copies of wheat belly and two copies of the new cookbook as Christmas gifts. I have several family members who are allergic to all nuts and dairy. Could you please post a little more about substituting for almond flour other than chickpea flour. I also would like to know what I can use as a substitution for cream cheese because my daughter needs dairy and soy free.
Thank you,
Bonnie
In your book you talk about starches but don’t list arrow root as a problem. Is arrow root ok to use as a flour
So glad to have found this blog! We just read the book and as someone who hasn’t eaten a varied diet, ever! I am finding myself standing in the kitchen not know what the heck to eat, since everything I have has wheat it seems. So I know I have some learning to do and experimenting and the first thing I’d LOVE to make is a pizza. I feel like, if I can make a pizza, then I can do anything :) So here goes!
Can this crust be frozen? Is so, what is the best way, and then what is the best way to cook it when you take it out? From frozen or thaw, and at what temp to cook? Someone said 400? Thanks in advance!
Hi, I just bought the book and loved it. i have eliminated most bread products from my diet last year and lost almot 40 pounds. After reading this book I know what else to eliminate. But, living in a small town I’m unable to get some of the flours in the pizza recipe. I found Bob’s red mill All Purpose flour but am unsure if it’s ok to use. Also it says I have to use Xanthan gum with the flour. Thoughts?
Look up recipes on Maria Emmerich’s blog. She has a pizza crust which I experimented with and it was quite good. You can also use alternatives to flour like “cauliflour”, huh, I meant cauliflower ;)
There are a few pizza crust recipes based on things you wouldn’t think about on low carb diet blogs and sites.
Have fun!
J.
Bobs red mill all purpose is the same as any other regular wheat flour… That brand does make almond meal and coconut flour which are both great options! Also you can order bulk amounts of almond flour online which is a good alternative if its not sold in your local grocery store! This recipe http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/thinandcrispy_pizza.html is great!!
I have a Vitamix and recently bough the dry mix container. Yes, a little pricey, but once the sting of that was gone, I began to realize the value. I have almonds, flax seed, etc (have not tried grinding garbanzo beans yet) and grind just what I need for a recipe. The flour and nutrients are fresh. I love it because I can buy grains in bulk and stick them in my freezer and grind into flour as needed. Great for those of us that live more than a few miles from the nearest Japanese market.
This was fantastic! Next time, I am just going to bake the crust, and cut it into pieces to use as crackers for dip!!! Yum, yum, and again yum!!!!! (The whole family was impressed!)
Excellent, Jodi!
You can see that, once you get the hang of it, these recipes yields delicious and healthy alternatives.
One of my sons is allergic to garbanzo beans, what should I substitute? Would coconut flour work?
Thanks!
Yes, coconut flour is a wonderful substitute. Also, see this blog post:https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/04/wheat-belly-safe-flours/
I just made the pizza crust II and it did not work so good. The dough did not rise (I used a thermometer to check the temp of the water with the yeast and the yeast was definitely in date). The crust was mushy and definitely would not hold up the toppings. What am I doing wrong? Are you supposed to pack the almond and garbanzo flour? Is there a big difference between almond meal and almond flour? I am new at this and excited to start. I am a great cook, but a lousy baker. Help!!!!!
there is no yeast in this recipe..
She is referring to the “Pizza Crust 2” recipe in the cookbook that does use yeast.
Hello,
Gluten free/low carb cooking is very new to me and I am excited to try this recipe. Is it okay to use hemp seed in recipes and on salads?
Thanks!
Just tried the recipe tonight. Did not care for it, especially the texture from the ground flaxseed. Overall, the almond flour makes it seem biscuit like to me.
The search continues….
I made the wheat belly pizza crust last night and it was amazing!! So sturdy and delicious. Even
My skeptical boyfriend loved it. Almost ate the whole thing. Thank you Dr. Davis. I also loved the fettuccini recipe!
My crust sticks to the parchment paper after cooking. What can I do for it not to stick? It’s very had removing the little pieces or finding paper in your mouth. Thanks in advance.
Oil the parchment.
Pizza crust was delicious, but the crust was a bit soggy in the middle and stuck to the paper. What can I do different next time?
Question can I replace the almond flour with coconut flour for the pizza crust? I am wondering if I can use all coconut flour?
Hi again! Haven’t made this in a while. Did it tonight with amazing results! I ended up putting ALL the ingredients in my food processor. (Started with the mozarella, and thought “what the heck, why not throw it all in. Less bowls to clean”.) Best decision ever! Especially when you blend in the liquid ingredients. And I baked it on a pizza stone. Came out FANTASTIC. Yes! Friday-night-pizza-night is back in our family. The kids are so happy!!!!
This is pretty good. The crust isn’t the greatest tasting but tastes alright and held up well considering there’s no gluten in it. Thanks a lot for the recipe.