With crust that is crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, this pan pizza is hearty, delicious, and gluten-free. This recipe allows you to be gluten-free and enjoy your pizza, too!
Line your pan with parchment paper and brush with 2 tbs light olive oil, being sure to brush up the sides. Set aside. (see pan notes below)
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
Add the oil and warm water and mix well using a whisk until well combined.
Scoop the crust batter into the prepared pan and spread the batter with a spatula or spoon.
Place the pan in a draft-free location and let rise for at least 30-45 minutes (depends on how warm the room is).
While waiting for the crust to rise, combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir well to mix. Set aside.
Preheat oven 450 deg F (230C).
Carefully spread the sauce on the crust, taking care to not push too hard to break the surface of the crust. (See sauce notes below)
Top with cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
There is no sugar in the crust batter. Contrary to widespread belief, you do you not need added sugar for the yeast to activate and make the dough rise.
Proofing yeast with warm water and sugar is a different story because that is to test to make sure the yeast is still active before you add it to the rest of the ingredients.
If you want to add granulated sugar to your batter, you can add 1 teaspoon to the dry ingredients.
A good place to let your dough rise is in your oven with the light on.
The Pan: If you are using a cast iron pan, you most likely do not need the parchment paper. However, I do not own a cast iron pan, so I cannot say for sure. In any other pan, the crust will stick to the surface, no matter how much oil you use to grease it, so the parchment helps in that case.
I would not recommend using traditional nonstick pans for this recipe because most are not meant for really high heat.
If you don't have a round pan, use a rectangular baking pan!
The Sauce: Take care when spreading the tomato sauce on the pizza dough because this is not as durable as one made with regular wheat flour. Spread the sauce gently, or alternatively, put the sauce in a squirt bottle and apply it that way. I have used this method and it works, too!
If you like your crust a bit thicker, let it rise for 15-30 minutes more.
Spread the dough batter so that it is slightly thicker around the edge for a thicker crust, or simply spread the batter evenly in the pan.
As a completely optional step, you can place your pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat for 2 minutes before placing the pizza in the oven to bake. This will get the bottom of the pan to a high temperature quickly to cook the crust. Keep in mind that this should only be done with pans that are meant for the stovetop. Do not do this step with a regular baking pan or dish.