So, on my local farmstand's last day I cleaned him out of cauliflower and he says...
he's got a great cauliflower pizza recipe. Cauliflower as the crust, that is.
Now, I've mixed cauliflower with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach, put it in soups & stews, and replaced almost half the flour in bread recipes, so I get the concept.
Never thought of pizza crust though. But, it's so obvious.
Got to try it this week.
Cauliflower has such a delicate flavor it never overwhelms what you mix it with, but usually adds something while taking away carbs and calories.
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Here's the recipe I like, which was posted at the Lucky Penny blog. I double it because I think these crusts are too damn much work. I figure if you are going to make the effort, have an extra crust for the freezer. I put my notes on cutting down the work in italics.
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
1 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
optional a few shakes of crushed red pepper
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 egg
optional 1 tablespoon almond meal
Desired amount of sauce, cheese for topping, and other toppings.
Place a pizza stone in the oven, or baking sheet if you don't have a pizza stone. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a cutting board, place a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil. If you don't have a pizza stone, use a cast iron skillet! It makes for a beautiful golden crust.
Wash and throughly dry a small head of cauliflower. Don't get one the size of your head unless you are planning on making 2 pizzas. Cut off the florets; you don't need much stem. Just stick with the florets. Pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. You should end up with 2 to 3 cups cauliflower "snow". Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave for 4 minutes. Dump cooked cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool for a bit before attempting the next step. I don't microwave or cook the cauliflower.
Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel and wring the heck out of it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy pizza like crust instead of a crumbly mess. This step is really time-consuming, so I've eliminated it. I find that the excess water in the cauliflower will leak out during the baking process. I've never had a "crumbly mess."
Put cauliflower into a bowl. Now add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt), and a dash of red pepper if you want. I also added 1 tablespoon almond meal because my cauliflower yielded closer to 2 cups of cauli snow, this is optional and I would not add the almond meal if you have closer to 3 cups of cauli snow. Now add your egg and mix away. Hands tend to work best. I like to use fresh herbs.
Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down thoroughly, you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don't make it too thick or thin either.
Using a cutting board slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 8 - 11 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.
Add however much sauce, cheese, and toppings you want. Slide parchment with topped pizza back in the hot oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden.
Test your patience and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Probably closer to two. Then using a pizza cutter and a spatula serve up your delicious grain-free cauliflower crust pizza!
*3/15 update - If you are using a larger sized cauliflower, up the eggs to 1 egg plus 1 egg white. You want your "dough" to be sticky. When I make a bigger sized pizza (using more cauliflower) I up the seasonings and the egg, but often leave the amount of cheese the same. Make sure you pat the dough tightly together when forming your crust. It really helps to place the crust (on an oiled sheet of parchment paper) on a HOT pizza stone or baking sheet. Make sure the crust is golden in color before topping it and baking it again. I truly believe cooking it the proper length before topping it helps keep the crust together.
Also I really like the addition of 1 to 2 tablespoons of almond meal to the crust mixture.
*Disclaimer - the slices will still be kinda floppy, but they shouldn't be crumbly.
***UPDATE - My new oven requires that I pre-cook the crust for closer to 15 to 20 minutes to get it a nice golden brown. Go off of looks rather than time! You want the edges to start to be crispy brown but not too much so that when you cook it again after adding toppings it will burn.
FAQs:
Instead of microwaving you can steam the cauliflower just enough to get it slightly tender.
Instead of a food processor you can use a cheese grater to grate the cauliflower.
I highly recommend parchment paper over tin foil. Don't use wax paper.
Yes, you can do without the pizza stone and use a baking sheet.
The almond flower is optional. Coconut flour would be a good substitute, but both could be left out entirely with pretty much the same result.
Cher
