Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

I'm lucky. I don't have any issues with gluten, which is found in many grains, such as wheat, rye, barley, spelt, and others. Gluten is a composite of gliadin and glutenin. It's a fairly complex protein and gives dough its elasticity and chewiness, and as food has become more processed, the amount of gluten consumed now by the typical American is much higher than our ancestors.

Celiac disease is the autoimmune destruction of the small intestine by the ingestion of gluten. Although many people get tested and are told they don't have celiac disease, it doesn't mean they can consume gluten. The body/immune system can see gluten as a foreign protein thus produces antibodies thereby increasing inflammation in the body (in an attempt to rid the body of this foreign particle). I've seen many inflammatory conditions resolve with the elimination of gluten, transforming my patient's lives.

So to practice what I preach, I often eliminate gluten from my diet to see how life can be without it. The biggest complaint I hear from New Yorkers is - "What?? No pizza?" Luckily in Manhattan, there are many great gluten-free pizzerias and bakeries. Below is a fantastic pizza dough recipe I've adapted from glutenfreemommy.com. This is also cow dairy-free and egg-free. It's delicious - better than the Alice Waters dough recipe I had been using. I used a bread machine, but you can easily mix it yourself and let it sit for 1-2 hours before using.

In a medium bowl, combine:
2-1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp goat yogurt
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

In another small bowl, combine:
2-1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (just below boiling)
1 tsp sugar

Let the small bowl sit till it starts to bubble (yeast is working). In the bread machine, mix together:

1/4 cup millet flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup warm water

Add the yeast mixture and olive mixtures to this and set the bread machine to the pizza dough function. When ready to handle, the dough will be crumbly, so add more olive oil as needed till it's the right consistency to stick together. Make sure the baking sheet is oiled before placing the dough on top. Add your favorite toppings and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Good luck!