Necessities for Making Gluten-Free Pizza at Home

Even if you can’t eat gluten, there’s no reason you can’t still enjoy delicious gluten-free pizza at home. With the right ingredients, tools, and cleanliness practices, you can make sure all your homemade culinary creations are safe for those with this dietary restriction.

Why Would Someone Need to Eat Gluten-Free?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, known for being what makes dough stretchy. While many people digest it without issue, there are some who can’t or choose to avoid it.

Reasons a person might follow a gluten-free diet include:

• Celiac Disease: This autoimmune disorder causes damage to the small intestine when gluten is consumed. For those with celiac disease, even very small amounts of gluten can lead to serious health issues, making strict avoidance essential.
• Gluten Sensitivity: People with non-celiac sensitivity experience symptoms like headache and GI discomfort when eating gluten, but it is not an autoimmune response.
• Other Dietary Reasons: Some people who can digest gluten still eat gluten-free. Someone with a wheat allergy can easily identify wheat-free foods by looking for gluten-free labels. For others, it’s a matter of preference.

Making Gluten-Free Pizza at Home

Going gluten-free doesn’t mean giving up pizza! With a few adjustments, you can easily make delicious, authentic gluten-free pizza at home.

What Type of Flour Should I Use for Gluten-Free Pizza Dough?

Choosing the right flour is key for making gluten-free pizza. Common gluten-free flours include almond flour, rice flour, or ready-made gluten-free flour blends. These blends typically contain ingredients like rice flour and potato starch to create a dough similar to traditional pizza crust.

Our gluten-free pizza dough recipe uses high-quality Caputo Fioreglut flour, which blends gluten-free wheat starch, maize (corn) starch, buckwheat flour, rice starch, and psyllium fiber. Gluten-free wheat starch is washed until there are only trace amounts of gluten, deemed safe for celiac disease by the FDA. Manufacturers work to prevent cross-contamination, but if you have extreme gluten sensitivity, you may want to try a blend that does not use this ingredient.

If you have a wheat allergy, always choose a blend without wheat derivatives. Even gluten-free wheat starch may cause an allergic reaction in some people.

People with celiac disease sometimes also have a reaction to a protein present in oats (avenin). If you’re not sure whether someone has this sensitivity as well, make sure you choose a blend that does not use oat flour.

How to Achieve the Best Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

When working with gluten-free pizza dough, it's important to handle it carefully since it doesn’t stretch like traditional gluten dough. For the best results, roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking and to help control the shape. You can also use a little olive oil on your hands to press the dough out evenly, taking care not to tear it.

We recommend following our tried-and-true recipe for gluten-free pizza dough that yields crispy, chewy crust every time!

Choosing Gluten-Free Toppings

Always check labels to ensure toppings are gluten-free, especially for processed ingredients like sauces or meats. Even products labeled "wheat-free" may contain gluten from barley or rye. For extra safety, opt for fresh produce, freshly sliced or grated cheeses, and items that are explicitly labeled gluten-free. Even with mild sensitivity, it's smart to check for warnings like "made in a facility that processes wheat."

Preventing Gluten Cross-Contamination

Preventing gluten cross-contamination is critical, especially if your kitchen typically handles gluten. Cross-contamination occurs when gluten-free foods come into contact with gluten, even in small amounts. To prevent cross-contamination, you should follow these essential guidelines.

Separate Cooking Tools and Utensils

Use dedicated gluten-free tools like cutting boards, utensils, and mixing bowls. Gluten particles can hide in scratches or crevices, even after cleaning, so separate tools are crucial to keep your gluten-free pizza safe.

Clean Your Workspace Thoroughly

Before making gluten-free pizza, thoroughly clean your cooking surfaces. Use fresh cloths or paper towels to wipe down counters, and avoid sponges, which can harbor gluten particles from previous meals.

Invest in a Dedicated Gluten-Free Pizza Oven

Investing in a dedicated home pizza oven is one of the easiest and safest ways to avoid cross-contamination. Gluten can linger in small cracks of cookware, even when thoroughly scrubbed. A separate oven, like the home pizza ovens from Fontana Forni, ensures the food stays safe from gluten contamination.

Make All Kinds of Gluten-Free Recipes With a Fontana Forni Oven