Try this Gluten Free Focaccia Pizza Crust for a little something different next time it’s pizza night in your home!
Growing up, I was never a fan of pizza. In fact, I hated anything and everything that had spaghetti sauce on it. Not easy on a kid growing up in an Italian family! I eat sauce now, but I still tend to stray far from traditional when it comes to recipes that typically use a red tomato based sauce. I’m always looking for ways to switch things up, especially when it comes to pizza. I’ve made a few pizza’s on the blog already, but this one was built on a gluten free Focaccia Pizza Crust.
I was actually making two pizza crusts at the same time. This one and a non-gluten free crust for those of us who can eat gluten. I think making them side-by-side is what triggered a ton of worry about how this Gluten Free Focaccia Pizza Crust was going to end up.
This post contains affiliate links – see our Disclosure Statement for more information.
I honestly had no idea how this was going to turn out. The dough didn’t really “rise” but I let it sit the same as I did for my non-gluten free version. It looked flaky as it was baking and I was sure it was going to be a crumbly mess. I even called Daryl to tell him to pick up a prepackaged gluten free pizza crust for himself because I couldn’t guarantee mine was going to turn out edible. Every step of the way I thought for sure this crust was going to be a huge failure! Gluten free baking is tough. Let’s not sugar coat this fact. Even if the end product tastes just as it should, the texture is never going to be exactly like the non-gluten free version.
Daryl came home with a prepackaged pizza crust in hand. It was then that I realized that I didn’t have extra cheese or tomatoes to put on it if we did end up needing to make it. My fingers were all crossed in hopes this thing would be edible. I topped both pizzas with fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula and put them back in the oven to finish baking.
Daryl’s gluten free Focaccia Pizza Crust ended up being denser than the non-gluten free crust. I think this was due to the fact the gluten free dough won’t rise as much. I tasted both and was really surprised at how identical they ended up being. Both crusts had the same traditional focaccia taste. The Gluten Free Focaccia Pizza Crust even had a very similar texture, but with a little more graininess common in baking with gluten-free flours. He didn’t seem to mind and ate half the pizza in one sitting!
I tend to stick with tried-and-true prepackaged gluten free flour blends. I feel like each one gives different results. For this recipe, I used Pillsbury Gluten Free Flour Blend because I’ve had really good results with it in the past. I also really like King Arthur’s, but have not tested this recipe with it.
The recipe below is for the Gluten Free Focaccia Pizza Crust only. You can top it with the same ingredients I did, or any other way you prefer your pizza! A lot of focaccia recipes will sprinkle the top of the bread with salt and rosemary. For more traditional pizza’s I’d recommend garlic and oregano!
I hope you enjoy this little spin on pizza crust and that this Gluten Free Focaccia Pizza Crust turns out as good for you as it did for us!
Enjoy!
Gluten Free Focaccia Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 Cups warm water
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 5 Cups gluten free all purpose flour * I used Pillsbury Gluten Free Flour Blend
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 Cups extra virgin olive oil * divided
- kosher salt and rosemary for sprinkling * optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit in a warm place for 15 minutes until yeast gets bubbly.
- In a large mixer bowl, combine the gluten free flour, salt, 3/4 Cups of the olive oil, and the yeast mixture. Mix on low until blended. Remove from the mixture and knead on a lightly floured surface until everything is well blended. If the dough is too dry, add water 1 Tablespoon at a time until it becomes more moist and easier to knead.
- Coat the inside of the mixing bowl with oil, place the dough in it, and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place for 1 hour. You will not notice the rising as much as with traditional dough.
- Pour 1/4 Cup olive oil onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread the dough over it to cover the sheet. Using your finger tips, push holes into the top of the dough, then brush the top with the remaining 1/4 C olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit another hour.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake until the dough starts turning a light brown on top, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with coarse salt and rosemary (for traditional focaccia) or top with the pizza toppings of your choice and return to the over for 5-7 minutes longer, until the cheese is melted and the toppings are heated through.
Tisha says
October 23, 2018 at 8:48 pmThis is a great gluten free vegetarian dish!!!
Caroline says
October 23, 2018 at 8:43 pmI really like the idea of using focaccia as a base – in fact a local cafe does something similar – and great to have a GF option.
Krissy Allori says
October 23, 2018 at 7:35 pmThis looks amazing! What a great recipe for a gluten free pizza too!
Stef says
October 23, 2018 at 6:19 pmHow did you not like pizza sauce as a kid?? That’s so unusual! Then again, my son doesn’t like ice cream. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to hang onto it for next time with eat with my cousin who has celiacs.
Valentina says
October 23, 2018 at 5:54 pmI’m so excited about this recipe b/c my 14-yr-old has Celiac and LOVES pizza! We’ve tried all sorts or brands, and I’ve made a few myself, but this one looks SO good. Thank you!
Carolyn says
August 14, 2016 at 10:17 pmThis is great for those who have a gluten intolerance. A lot of my family is GF and I am always trying to figure out what to make for them when they visit. This will be on the list! Thanks for sharing.
ourlittleeverything says
August 15, 2016 at 9:29 amGreat!! I hope everyone enjoys it!!
Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says
August 14, 2016 at 8:12 pmI love topping pizza with arugula! My favorite!
ourlittleeverything says
August 14, 2016 at 9:07 pmIt’s so good!!
Sandra says
August 14, 2016 at 7:10 pmI will be giving this a try. Unlike you, I am a pizza lover but my gluten intolerance has made pizza a thing of the past. I have tried gluten free dough recipes but so far I haven’t found anything that I like. Thanks for sharing!
ourlittleeverything says
August 14, 2016 at 9:09 pmHi Sandra! My boyfriend really liked this focaccia crust, but he also really likes the Cheesy Cauliflower Pizza Crust I make too! If we bake, I really prefer either King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour Blend or Pillsbury.
Mariah says
July 19, 2016 at 12:15 pmI love food with color! this looks so easy to make and yummy!
ourlittleeverything says
July 19, 2016 at 2:20 pmThanks Mariah 🙂
Allison - Celebrating Sweets says
July 12, 2016 at 11:22 pmI’ll have to make this for my gluten free friends. Looks fabulous!
ourlittleeverything says
July 13, 2016 at 10:02 amThanks Allison!
Dia All The Things I Do says
July 12, 2016 at 11:07 pmSo truth be told I almost had to leave the page when you said you never liked pizza… it’s kind of the love of my life haha seriously I wrote a blog pots about it.
Haha okay but on to this recipe! It looks so yummy. I want to try this crust with all kinds of stuff. Thanks for sharing.
ourlittleeverything says
July 13, 2016 at 10:02 amHaha Dia – that’s hilarious! I didn’t like spaghetti sauce as a kid so that’s why I wasn’t a fan of pizza. I can’t believe you wrote a whole post about your love for it – I’ll have to look that up!
Rachel says
July 12, 2016 at 9:07 pmYum! I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making pizza!
ourlittleeverything says
July 13, 2016 at 10:01 amIt’s fun! You def should!
Amanda says
July 12, 2016 at 8:42 pmOh I must try this! I’m the gluten free one in the house and baking has been such a touch and go journey. Maybe this will even turn my kids and husband into wanting this instead of other options.
ourlittleeverything says
July 13, 2016 at 10:01 amI know it’s tough! My boyfriend is gluten free, but not the rest of us. Some things I can make GF with no difference, other’s the texture is still different even if the taste is there. Sometimes that’s hard to get past.
andrea says
July 12, 2016 at 7:31 pmThis looks delicious and I am so need of a cheaper option for pizza crust. Can’t wait to try this one.
ourlittleeverything says
July 13, 2016 at 10:00 amHope you like it!
Kyla Matton Osborne (#RubyWriter) says
July 12, 2016 at 5:13 pmMy kids would really love this recipe! I’m pinning so we can try it at a later date 🙂
ourlittleeverything says
July 13, 2016 at 9:59 amThanks Kyla!
Joyce | Live Laugh Love Post says
July 12, 2016 at 1:34 pmAwesome recipe! I cannot wait to try this. FYI, I am on diabetes :-/ but I am lucky to eat gluten-free pizza <3 I've pinned this so I can make for my special diet. 🙂
ourlittleeverything says
July 13, 2016 at 9:58 amI know all about that kind of diet – good luck! I hope you like the pizza crust 🙂
Deynece says
July 12, 2016 at 12:37 pmThanks for this! My best friend has to eat gluten free so pinning this for sure!
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 12:50 pmThanks Deynece!
Nikki from Tikkido says
July 12, 2016 at 12:24 pmI built a wood fired pizza oven in our backyard, and we love hosting pizza nights, but I don’t have a good option to serve my gluten free friends. Thanks for the recipe; I’ll definitely give it a try soon!
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 12:50 pmThank you! I hope your friends like it!!
kali says
July 12, 2016 at 12:10 pmlooks delicious. i love a good gf crust! they are hard to come by!
Xx
Kali
http://www.lovelaughexplore.com
@love_laugh_explore
https://www.facebook.com/lovelaughexplore/
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 12:49 pmThey really are!
Sarah says
July 12, 2016 at 10:30 amTHANK YOU for this recipe! I just found out a few months ago I have a gluten intolerance, and I have missed yummy homemade bread. So excited to try this out!
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 12:49 pmGF bread is so hard! The only one I found that I really liked was Sharr’s French Bread and we toasted it with butter and garlic. I’m trying to make my recipes as close as possible to regular bread, but the texture is never going to quite be the same.
Caitlin @ Simply Caitlin C says
July 12, 2016 at 9:50 amAhh Focaccia! One of my favorites! I’m not strictly gluten free but love experimenting with GF options! They tend to make me feel that much better internally and still taste pretty good. It’s so interesting that these taste almost the same. I typically can taste a difference but love the idea of something GF that you’d never know the difference taste wise.
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 12:48 pmI think maybe it’s all the olive oil that makes they both taste very similar. I have a hard time with the texture of GF things (I’m not GF and I like chewy things lol), but my boyfriend who is GF has no issue with texture so as long as it tastes good, it’s a winner!
Julie says
July 12, 2016 at 9:45 amMy 12 year old hates pizza, but I am 100% sure he would eat this! Plus my husband is gluten free. Saving this recipe for later!
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 12:46 pmI’m not a big fan of regular pizza either – hope your family likes this recipe!
Joanie @ ZagLeft says
July 12, 2016 at 8:40 amI don’t eat gluten-free but my niece does, I’ll be forwarding this recipe along to her. She’ll be so happy to have a tested GF pizza recipe to use.
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 12:45 pmThanks so much!
Francesca - From Pennies to Pounds says
July 12, 2016 at 7:39 amThis looks delicious. I really need to try mozzarella on my pizza!
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 12:45 pmThanks!
Jolina - The Unlikely Baker says
July 12, 2016 at 1:03 amI’m not gluten free either but it’s really interesting to know that apart from the rise, they didn’t taste that much different. And your arugula pizza looks ah-mazing!
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 7:00 amThanks so much Jolina!
Krysti says
July 11, 2016 at 11:44 pmPerfect recipe! I’ll definitely be saving for later x
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 7:00 amThank you!
candice says
July 11, 2016 at 11:24 pmWOW! This sounds so amazingly good! I will have to try this out!!
XOX
Candice
http://www.candicestubblefield.com
ourlittleeverything says
July 12, 2016 at 6:59 amThanks Candice!