Low Carb Gluten Free Cauliflower Base Pizza!

https://www.notquitenigella.com/2013/07/10/low-carb-gluten-free-cauliflower-base-pizza/

Low Carb Gluten Free Cauliflower Base Pizza

  • About 1/2 a massive cauliflower to make 700g/25ozs. of florets (I buy cauliflower per head so I usually pick the largest that I can get, often bigger than my head!)

  • 4 tablespoons ground almonds (you can also use plain all purpose flour but obviously it won't be gluten free if you do and the dough is stickier to handle with flour)

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/2 red onion thinly sliced

  • 4-5 slices of mozzarella cheese

  • 1/3 cup pizza sauce

  • Fresh basil leaves

  • Chilli flakes

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From cauliflower florets...

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To cauliflower crumbs

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Line a 30cm/12 inch round pizza dish or a pizza stone with parchment. Wash and shake dry the cauliflower florets (the stem also works although the florets are easier to blend up) and process them in a good processor until you get 700grams or 25ozs. of fine, cauliflower bits. Without adding water or covering the bowl, microwave it for five minutes or steam it on a steamer. Cool for 10 minutes.

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After cooking

Step 2 - Empty the cooked cauliflower in a clean teatowel or in cheesecloth. Squeeze as much moisture out as you can as this helps get a good bread-like texture. There's a surprising amount of water in them and I got nearly a cup of water out. You don't have to remove every speck of moisture though. Clean the bowl that you used before and empty the squeezed out cauliflower mix.

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Squeezing the moisture out

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The squeezed out cauliflower

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Pressed into a circle on parchment

Step 3 - Add the eggs and the ground almonds to the mixture and using hands mix to combine. I wanted it as circular as possible (it's my OCD) so I shaped the pizza dough on the parchment lined pizza base(and don't forget the parchment as it will stick). Shape the cauliflower mixture into a large ball and gently flatten it out spreading it to the edges. You can make the sides a bit higher too-you'll need to do this as the cauliflower dough doesn't rise. Slide the round base out from under the parchment and preheat it in the oven for 5-10 minutes until it is hot. Remove from oven and slide prepared pizza base on parchment paper onto the hot base and bake for 18 minutes.

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After being baked

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Placing the toppings

Step 4 - In the meantime, get your toppings ready and once the crust has had its 18 minutes and become golden and set, remove from the oven. Place toppings on pizza and bake for a further 10 minutes or so.


Did you make this?

© Lorraine Elliott