There's Never a Bad Time for Pizza

​There’s a little part of me that’s always craving pizza. Generally, I have to subdue the desires for the chewy crust, the tangy tomato sauce, and the sautéed veggies as I walk past the boxes of eaten pizza that litter the halls of my dorm. College students are always eating this classic food, and I seem to be always longing for my mom’s pizza. Maybe it’s the Italian in me or maybe I just really love pizza (probably a fair amount of both). Either way, when I was on the phone with my mom the other day, I politely begged her to make some for me next time I come home, and (being the awesome mother that she is) she agreed.

Since I’m trying to satisfy my cravings in any way possible, which usually means just smelling the tantalizing aroma as I walk past some pizza delivery guy in the lobby of my dorm, I decided I share my mom’s YouTube video for our family favorite pizza crust recipe. The recipe itself actually comes from this old, decrepit gluten-free cookbook that we’ve had since we became gluten-free 13 years ago. From all the wear-and-tear that thing has seen over the years (we make pizza a lot at home), the book’s spine is permanently bent to open at the page of our coveted recipe. There are random stains all over the pages. To be honest, I’m not sure why we have to take the book out each time we make pizza, since my mom already knows the recipe by heart. (I think it’s just tradition…to see how many more stains we can possibly get on that single page before the words are rendered unreadable.)

Below the video you’ll find the written recipe. Also, I’d like to formally apologize for the choppiness of the video itself; we have no idea what happened, but it’s still watchable.

EAT PIZZA AND BE MERRY!

Family Favorite Pizza Crust

1 teaspoon salt
3 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
½ cup hot water + 3 tablespoons shortening (The water should melt the shortening.)
4 egg whites
1 cup warm water + 1 tablespoon sugar + 2 tablespoons yeast
2 cup tapioca
2 cup white rice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Mix together yeast, water, and sugar. Set aside.
4. Add tapioca, white rice flour, salt, and xanthan gum to mixer and mix until combined.
5. Add shortening mixture and egg whites; mix until combined.
6. Add yeast mixture. Mix dough on high for 4 minutes.
7. Flour clean surface with a sprinkle of white rice flour. Knead dough and roll into desired shapes.
8. Place on baking sheets and then bake in oven for 7 minutes. (May need a few more minutes if your crust is on the thicker side. You want the crust to be firm yet slightly flexible.)
9. Top with sauce and your favorite toppings.
10. Bake for another 10 minutes or until your pizza has reached perfection!