Thin Crust Pizza (made with almond flour)

This thin crust pizza is made with finely ground, blanched almond flour. But not much almond flour - and there's more cheese and egg in this recipe than a traditional pizza crust.

I make them as individual pizzas, and once they are made I store them in the refrigerator (wrapped in wax paper and plastic - wax paper between each pizza to separate them easily). You can freeze them as well - just seal them to prevent freezer frost. They reheat easily at 325 degrees F for about 8 minutes. And here's a tip: sometimes I make just the pie crust and freeze or refrigerate them for later use.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of almond flour
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese (or another hard cheese, grate finely)
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of basil (optional)

For the topping:
1 cup or so of tomato sauce (prepared ahead of time by simmering it with herbs)
6 slices of Havarti cheese (or another type of cheese)

Preparation

1. Combine all the wet ingredients and blend well.
2. Add the dry ingredients and blend well.
3. Place parchment paper on two baking or cookie sheets. Place about two heaping spoonfuls of batter across six individual locations on the two cookie sheets (three pies on each sheet). Leave at least an inch of space between each pie crust so you can take it off easily. The pies do not spread while baking.
4. Using a piece of plastic wrap gently placed on top of a spoonful of batter, flatten out the batter with your hand until the pie crust is thin and more or less evenly smoothed over. Gently pull the plastic off of the crust and repeat for each pie.
5. Place the pie crusts in the oven for 11 to 13 minutes.
6. Take the pie crusts out of the oven. You can let them cool and store them for later use in the refrigerator or freezer, or you can go to the next step.
7. Place a large spoonful of tomato sauce on each pie crust, followed by a slice of cheese. And of course, feel free to change the toppings to suit your taste. Other great toppings include pesto, onions, pineapple, and so on.
8. Bake the pies in the same oven at 350 degrees F for 11 to 13 minutes, or until they reach the desired look and taste.
9. Enjoy!

Comments

[Hänni]

Thanks for sharing--i have not seen an almond flour pizza dough recipe anywhere on the web. My question for you is: do you need to put cheese in the crust? Will omitting it change the texture of the crust, or is it necessary for flavor? Also, have you ever tried to make a yeasty dough with almond flour? This is my favorite recipe and am wondering if I can directly sub almond flour for all-purpose: 101 Cookbooks Best Pizza Dough Ever

[Hänni]

Hmmm here's that pizza dough link: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001199.html

[Erica]

Good questions. I'll answer as best I can :) I haven't tried the crust without cheese since it helps bind the flour (along with the egg) and it adds flavor (salt), but I bet it would still work - you might need to add another egg and some more seasoning. Not sure though since I haven't tried it.

For the yeast question: No, I haven't tried yeast with almond flour - very interesting idea. I'm thinking you probably won't have a reaction like the one you have with yeast and the gluten in wheat. With almonds, there's no gluten to stretch and create that chewy, stretchy taste that wheat flour gives you. But if you try this, let me know what happens!

[Erica]

Just thinking about one more thing: if you omit the cheese, it may be more of an pancake - lighter, since it's mostly egg and flour at that point. Could be good though. You've go me thinking I need to experiment more with this...

[Nida]

we can put baked boneless chicken pieces on it too.yum.

[Nida]

Does this pizza taste exactly like the conventional pizza made with all-purpose flour n yeast mixture dough?

[Erica]

Nida, this crust is not chewy like conventional pizza. And it's a bit softer. You can make it crunchier by baking it a bit longer at a low temperature (about 275 degrees) for about 10 minutes longer, and it will brown more as well.

[jeanne]

I made this the other night and we all loved it!!! Great recipe...thanks!

[Erica]

thanks Jeanne :) - love your store!