If you are feeling over fed after Christmas, this pizza crust recipe is a winner. The crust is going to be low in calories - I can't speak for the toppings!
The key ingredient, which wouldn't be everyone's first thought as an ingredient for pizza crust, is cauliflower. It adds bulk, fibre and flavour. It also comes with a good bit of water which we need to deal with.
Many folks will simply microwave the cauliflower rice and then squeeze out the excess water using a tea-towel. I prefer to dry-fry the cauliflower to both cook it and steam off the water. This also creates some opportunity for browning, though you don't want too much.
I made this as a tray bake, but you can be free to do whatever shape you want! I would always make this on a sheet of parchment though, as it is not going to be as easily maneuverable as traditional glutonous pizza dough.
This recipe is vegetarian, not vegan, as it uses eggs and cheese. See below for options on veganising.
Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower (about 650g)100g fine maize meal (or finely ground almonds)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Toppings (suggested)
Grated cheese (e.g., cheddar, low-moisture mozzarella or a blend of Italian cheeses)Tomato sauce
Sliced veggies (mushroom, peppers, onion)
Line a 15"×10" (38×25 cm) sheet pan with baking parchment.
Chop the cauliflower into smaller bits. In batches, blitz in a food processor until it resembles rice. Transfer the riced cauliflower to a wide, non-stick frying pan set over medium-high heat.
Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until it the amount of steam being released dies down. Some bits may catch ans brown on the bottom, don't worry, just scrape them up and stir in for extra flavour.
Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. We do not want the eggs to scramble when they are added!
Get your oven on now to preheat to about 200°C / 400°F.
You could use a large bowl, but I just do it in the high-sided frying pan where I cooked the cauliflower, to combine the cooked cauliflower with the fine maize meal (or ground almonds), beaten eggs, oregano, olive oil, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Stir until everything is evenly combined. If it seems too crumbly, you can add an extra drizzle of olive oil to help bind it.
Spoon the cauliflower mixture onto your prepared sheet pan. Using a spatula (or your hands!), press it out into a thin, even-ish rectangle. It should push right into the corners.
Bake in the preheated 200C oven for 15–18 minutes, or until it’s golden brown and the edges are just starting to crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes while tou turn the oven up to 240°C / 465°F.
Top "Grandma Style" by adding cheese first, scattering directly on the crust. Then spoon on the tomato sauce on top of the cheese, usually in 3 lines.
Add any additional toppings, such as mushrooms, peppers, onions, and an additional sprinkle of cheese, over the sauce.
Return the pizza to the oven and bake for another 10–12 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Keep an eye on it!
To Veganise
Replacing the cheese is relatively straightforward as you can bring your favourite vegan pizza cheese to this.
The egg is a little less straightforward as I am not sure that a traditional flax or chia egg will do. I think this calls for psyllium husk powder.
I would always mix the powder in with the maize meal, and the mix in the water with everything else, but give the whole mixture time to hydrate before spooning onto the baking sheet.
For 2 eggs, using about 2 tablespoons for psyllium husk powder and 90ml (6 tablespoons) of water should do the trick. Be careful not to let it hydrate for more than 2 minutes before mixing well into the rest of the ingredients, otherwise it may stiffen up too much.