No flour, no yeast, no kidding...
From Cleo Coyle: My husband and I first mentioned this cauliflower crust many years ago in our 13th Coffeehouse Mystery, Billionaire Blend. Recently a few readers asked us to re-share it, so here it is, along with a few new notes and tips.
As for our writing life, Marc and I are finishing up the 19th entry in our Coffeehouse series (more to come soon on Clare's next adventure). We are also counting down the days to the release of our brand-new Haunted Bookshop Mystery: The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait, which just received a lovely review from Kirkus...
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If you are new to our Haunted Bookshop world, you can learn more about it by visiting our Haunted Bookshop online. You’ll meet our earnest bookseller Penelope Thornton-McClure and our beloved ghost Jack Shepard, the spirit of a hard-boiled PI who haunts her quaint Rhode Island bookshop.
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Now let's make some
#lowcarb pizza...
Cleo Coyle writes two bestselling mystery series with her husband. To learn more, click here. |
While the idea of making a pizza crust from nothing more than cauliflower, egg, and mozzarella cheese may sound crazy to many, for those on gluten-free or low-carb diets (including diabetics), this oddball recipe is a wonderful way to (finally!) enjoy pizza again.
Versions of this recipe have been around for years (dating back to the early days of the Atkins diet), but they aren't all equal. My own take on this recipe includes a key step in making it work, and I'll be sharing that trick, along with step-by-step photos. And if you're too busy to make it from scratch...
Versions of this recipe have been around for years (dating back to the early days of the Atkins diet), but they aren't all equal. My own take on this recipe includes a key step in making it work, and I'll be sharing that trick, along with step-by-step photos. And if you're too busy to make it from scratch...
Cauliflower Pizza Crust has become so popular that you'll find pre-made frozen versions for sale in grocery stores, but beware of these versions if you're tracking carbs because some of them include wheat, rice, or other high-carb flours. A quick check of ingredients will solve that dilemma for you. As for me...
I can highly recommend an online vender called Cauli'flour Foods (not to be confused with Caulipower, which includes high-carb flours in their crusts).
Cauli'flour Foods is a company founded by a woman who was diagnosed with Lupus and struggled to find anti-inflammatory foods for her diet. That's why you can trust the company to make a pure and truly low-carb version of the cauliflower crust. I have a 6-pack of their Italian Crust variety in my freezer right now. They sell the crusts in multi-packs and also sell complete, ready-to-bake-and-eat frozen "Cauli-flour" pizzas.
Of course, one pays for convenience! So if you have the time and enjoy recipe projects, my recipe (below), will allow you to make your own tasty cauliflower pizza crust from scratch.
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
by Cleo Coyle
The cauliflower in this recipe lends good fiber and nutrition while the egg and cheese provide protein. This is an incredibly healthful way to eat pizza, especially if you have gluten allergies or you're following a low-carb diet. May you eat with joy and in good health! ~ Cleo
Makes one 10- to 12-inch pizza (depending on size of cauliflower)
Crust Ingredients:
1 medium head of fresh cauliflower (do not use frozen)
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon Italian spice mix blend
Step 1 – Prep oven and pan: First preheat your oven to 450°F. Use parchment paper to line a baking sheet or a pizza pan with holes and lightly coat the paper with nonstick spray. (I use Olive Oil spray.)
Step 2 – Rice the cauliflower: Break up the head of cauliflower into florets. Buzz them in a food processor only until they resemble grains of rice. Do not puree!
Step 3 – Cook in the microwave: Pour riced cauliflower into a microwave-safe dish and cook on high for 7 to 8 minutes.
Step 4 – Squeeze out extra moisture: This is a key step. If you do not squeeze the excess moisture out of your "cauliflower rice," the crust will be soggy and the recipe will not work the way you see it in my photos. You can use a tea towel or cheesecloth or a nut bag (used to make nut milk). Put the cauliflower in and squeeze until you have drained off a good deal of liquid. You don’t have to worry about getting every drop, but do the best you can.
NOTE for troubleshooting: You will start with 3 to 4 cups of Cauliflower Rice out of the food processor. After cooking and squeezing out the extra moisture, you should have somewhere between 1 and 1-1/2 cups remaining. My photo below shows you how the dried cauliflower rice looks, almost like a ground grain.
Step 5 – Create the dough: Pour the cooked and "squeeze-dried" cauliflower rice into a bowl and mix with the lightly beaten large egg, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon Italian spice blend.
(Whenever I use my pizza pan with holes, for example, more heat comes through the pan and the crust cooks much faster, so check your crust often to prevent burning.)
Finish in the oven with another 8 to 10 minutes of baking. (Again, your particular oven and pan may require more or less time to melt the cheese, simply make a note of it for next time.)
Step 9 – Reheating: This pizza reheats like a dream. Store it in the fridge and when you want to reheat, place slices in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.