A few weeks ago I posted a simple recipe for pizza crust made from garbanzo bean flour, salt, oil, and water that I learned from Sandy Gluck on Martha Stewart Radio’s “Everyday Food.”
I was intrigued by the idea, so we tried it… and the whole family loved it (see the results and recipe here). So I’ve made it a few times since, every time with delicious results.
Here is a version I made this week where I poured the batter into the oiled pan and then spread marinara sauce around (more like flung it, because the batter is pretty runny in this recipe) and topped it with grated goat cheese (mozzarella and Monterey Jack) and mushrooms.
A few things I’ve figured out about this recipe, now that I’ve made it several times:
1. I use more chickpea flour (about 1 cup) and more water (about 1 and 1/2 cup) than the original recipe called for because I like to make a pizza that fills my entire 14″ diameter round cast iron griddle.
2. Be sure to let the batter sit for at least 30 minutes before using it or else the crust will have a mealy texture.
3. It’s important to preheat the cast iron pan and then to spread a generous amount of oil right before pouring the batter around evenly. I’ve been using olive oil for this, but any oil would do.
4. The batter will seem really runny when you’re pouring it in. That’s ok. It may not self-level because it starts to cook as soon as it hits the hot oil, so try to spread it around evenly when you pour it into the pan. When it’s too thick, the crust is too dense and heavy.
5. Keep the pizza in the oven until the bottom is lightly toasted. This may take longer than 15 minutes, depending on how heavily you’ve loaded it with toppings.
We love the thin, crispy crust on this paper, reminescent of the addictively-crunchy, wood-fired crispy pizza crusts I adored during the year I lived in Florence, Italy.
Other benefits of this recipe: it’s yeast-free and doesn’t rise, so it is safe for Passover; it’s gluten-free and wheat-free, so it is safe for Celiac sufferers; it doesn’t require any fresh foods, so it’s easy to pull together in a minute and top with whatever you have on hand (see this recipe with artichoke hearts and green chiles), or even simply sea salt and spices for a cheese-free flatbread.
