The Holy Grail
I wrote previously about our quest to find a low carb pizza crust. {http://chrissysdullmoments.blogspot.com/2013/04/2-crust-bake-off.html}
I had not been able to make any real progress here. In a moment of complete determination I read through several recipes, blog posts, reader comments, etc. to find the "key" to making a really good low carb pizza crust.Friends, I have found our Holy Grail of pizza crusts. My main qualifications were...
-low carb
-soy free
-not more complicated to make then what I was currently doing
-not full of hard-to-find, expensive ingredients
-not require equipment I don't have
As a bonus? THIS CRUST IS VEGGIE BASED!
It's a tiny bit complicated to make, but if you follow this girl's blog post (read it all the way through first), it isn't too bad at all. She does a great job of explaining it. Per reader's comments and my own preferences, here is the recipe I used...
1 small to medium sized head of cauliflower - should yield 2 to 3 cups once processed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush it even more between your fingers)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crust it even more between you fingers)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Few shakes of Penzey's pizza seasoning
1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese + mozzarella cheese (we don't love parmesan cheese, so I put half of the 1/4 cup of parmesan and filled up the rest with mozzarella)
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon almond meal or gluten-free pizza mix (she says this is option, I recommend it to soak up moisture)
The blog:
I followed her instructions very carefully. I heated my pizza pan in the oven, since I don't have a pizza stone. I generously greased the parchment paper. I had 3 cups of processed cauliflower "snow" and I recommend going this route. I don't know how little pizza she eats, but 3 cups made a crust just barely big enough for Robert and I to share. I plan on making a bigger one the next time. Maybe we just eat a lot, who knows? But I could have had another slice, since there is a lot less to this pizza then a traditional pizza.
Other tips...
Once my crust was ready on my pan, before the first baking, I patted it down with paper towels. I gently pressed them over and over on the crust to soak up extra liquid.
I baked it the first time until it was good and brown. My middle could have stood a little longer. I was worried about burning it, but upon seeing the rest of the crust while eating, it would have been fine.
I used the convection function on my oven for about 6-7 minutes when I baked the crust the first time. I think this helped to crisp it up evenly.
Robert said this was the best low carb crust I have made yet! This made me extremely happy, since 1) soy flour isn't cheap 2) we can both eat this crust 3) it is cauliflower based. WIN!
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