FUN FACT! Did you know that HALLOWEEN is one of the top 3 most popular days of the year to order PIZZA!?!
Yep! Super Bowl Sunday, New Year’s Eve, and HALLOWEEN are when people are gobbling down the most pizza pie in America!
Sooo…I thought it fitting, with tomorrow being Halloween, to share with you the hands down, BEST pizza I have ever made – or eaten – in my life.
It’s from scratch. But it’s incredibly easy — think making a quick-bread-batter more than making a dough. But when I say it’s worth it — people…it is worth it.
INTRODUCING – The Best Gosh Darn Pesto Pizza You’ll Ever Eat In Your Life!
And in case you are wondering … yes… it is gluten free. But I pinky promise, it doesn’t taste like it! The texture, the flavor, the crunchiness and chewiness made this crust 100% delicious. The outside of the crust was that crunchy, golden texture that everyone loves. then the center maintained that crisp-chewiness. It was not at all dense, crumbly, cakey, or sandy like most gluten free crust. No way. This was a standout.
SO – without further ado. Fire up those ovens….
Here’s What You Need: (Makes one medium pizza that serves 3)
Crust:
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup GF AP-flour mix (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 cup warm water (not boiling, but warm)
a healthy pinch of sugar
3/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 beaten egg
1/8 tsp apple cider vinegar
Pesto:
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
juice of half a lemon
2 Tbsp EVOO
3-4 Tbsp water
salt to taste
(optional: 1/3 cup parmesan cheese)
Toppings:
1 onion, chopped
6 mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
kalamata olives, sliced
sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
cheese of choice (mozzarella, or Vegan Mozz-Style Shreds)
1 Tbsp EVOO
salt and pepper
Tools:
Pizza Pan
Parchment Paper (Or Non-Stick Tin Foil)
Stand Mixer (or hand mixer)
Small bowl
Measuring spoons/cups
Whisk
Good Chef’s Knife
Nonstick Frying Pan
Food Processor
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add all the dry crust ingredients and sugar to your stand mixer, and mix together. (Use a hand whisk to make sure they are well incorporated.)
Proof the yeast in 1 cup of warm water with a good pinch of sugar. It will foam. Let sit for about 10 minutes. While the yeast sits, combine the beaten egg, oil and vinegar in a separate bowl. Then, with your mixer on low, slowly pour in your yeast water, and egg mixture. Beat for about 1 minute on medium until it becomes smooth and batter-like.
Then, pour your batter onto a parchment paper lined pizza pan that has been sprayed with olive oil. (Or use non-stick tinfoil — which I highly reccommend!) Using a silicone spatula, spread out the batter until it is ice and thin. then, let that sit by the oven for about 15 minutes to rest and rise.
Bake it for 10 minutes, then take it out, spray it with olive oil, and return it to the oven for another 15 minutes until it is golden. Keep your eye on it! You now have the most amazing pizza crust!
Next, make the pesto! Combine all the pesto ingredients into the food processor until you get a gorgeous, emerald, creamy pesto! (You’ll need to scrape the sides several times!) Set aside.
Finally, while the crust is baking, sauté your toppings. In a nonstick frying pan, sauté the onion, mushrooms, red pepper, garlic, olives and sun-dried tomatoes in 1 Tbsp EVOO, salt and pepper for about 4 minutes over medium high heat.
To assemble: top the cooked crust with the pesto, and pile on your sautéed veggies. Then, sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top. Pop that back into the oven until the cheese melts, and enjoy!
Optional: Garnish with fresh basil and serve with a side of marinara if desired.
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow you guys. When I say this pizza was knock-your-socks-off delicious — I mean it!
The crust texture was just phenomenal! It was crunchy, but a little chewy, and sturdy enough to hold the toppings!
I loved that the base of the pizza was PESTO!! It packed this incredibly fresh punch from the basil! And was so flavorful from the garlic. The olives gave it nice salty bite, while the sun-dried tomatoes were intensely sweet. The mushrooms were earthy while the red peppers were sweet and crunchy! It all combined to pizza perfection!
So there you have it, sports fans! Give your pizza delivery guy a break, and make this pizza instead! Your taste buds will thank you, I promise!!!
(And also — I know there are a lot of “spooky sounding” flours in the ingredients list. But here’s the thing – with gluten free baking — each flour provides a different texture. Like brown rice flour is crumbly, tapioca is sticky, some are more cakey – etc. etc. And so the trick with GF recipes is to find the right combination of them all. So yes, it may be a bit of an investment at first, but if you’re planning on doing any sort of gluten free cooking, it really is a necessary step, to have a stocked pantry with all types of flours. (And pro-tip — keep them in airtight containers in the fridge so that they last longer!)
What are you dressing up as for halloween? Clearly, I was a cheerleader!!
“This is what the Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Ez 37:5
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41 responses to “The BEST Pesto Pizza!”
I did not know that. I didn’t think anything could have beaten candy. 😉
Hahahahaha you’re right about that, Gail!! Especially Reece’s peanut butter cups!!! 🙂 have a great night! Hugs and love xox
Amen, Sister! 🙂 Smart marketing for whoever designed their shapes. Seems the world has crowned them King of candy… lol. 🙂
Me and God love you too!
I definitely think so! Haha ditto!
Wow, that looks absolutely delicious! I love pizza so much and you’ve made me want some. As always thanks for sharing this recipe with us. Have a wonderful night 🌻🦋❤🎃
Thanks so much Lane!! Haha yeah pizza is a universal joy I think!! Have a wonderful night as well! Xox
I read this and it sounds excellent. You definitely are interesting.
Thanks Derek!! I appreciate that! Hugs and love xox
Cute cheer-leading outfit! 🙂
Aw thanks! It was certainly fun to wear! I always wanted to be a cheerleader! 🙂 Hugs and love xox
Looketh yummy. I liketh the costume.
hahah thanketh youeth! 🙂 hugs xo
Haha. Thou art welcome. Hugs to thee.
Haha ✨🥰💛✨
✨🥰💛✨HAHAHAHAHA✨🥰💛✨
ON HALLOWE’EN
♡ Has anyone else noticed that 31/10 is an EVE!!! like Christmas Eve and 1/11 is TOTALLY IGNORED!!! I AM so pleased that 1/11 is NOT!!! My Wife, SHE!!! Who MUST!!! Be Obeyed
…♡♡♡…
ON PLANNING
◇ – Diamond Hard – ◇
♧ Clubbing – Rigid, Inflexible Plans; there’s No Room For Manoeuvre – Clubbing
◇ Fluid, Flexible Plans; it’s Like Water ALWAYS!!! Finds A Way
♡ No Plan at ALL; simply Chance, Rolling The Dice
…so what about You EveryOne; where is Your Head At with regards to PLANS!!! I AM “Fluid, Flexible” 🤔 ?…
◇ – Diamond Hard – ◇
…◇◇◇…
ON HEALING THYSELF
◇ – Diamond Hard – ◇
◇ We Forget Our AutoImmune System in Favour of Pharma, Radio/Chemo Therapy EveryOne; My Doctor, a Leech in Fond Memory of Those Who ‘Healed’ and ‘Cured’ by Bleeding Bad Blood with Leeches on Our Skin, eventually stopped writing scripts/prescriptions and became a friend to talk to instead…it’s Crystal Clear Clarity that Prayers ARE ALL Very Well; but as some of My Lovely, Smart, Awesome Religious Friends put it Prayers don’t Pay The Bills and We NEED!!! to Take Accountability and Responsibility because The Divine Can ONLY!!! Do So Much Given Our FREE WILL!!! and AutoImmune System 🤕
◇ – Diamond Hard – ◇
…◇◇◇…
ON GOOD VIBRATIONS
◇ – Diamond Hard – ◇
◇ Pay Attention
◇ Signs
◇ Synchronicities
◇ SubAtomic Spaces
◇ Suggestions
◇ Signals
◇ Guidelines
◇ Pointers
◇ Pay FUCKING!!! Attention
◇ – Diamond Hard – ◇
…◇◇◇…
ON WICCAN
◇ – Diamond Hard – ◇
“Are you a good witch or a bad witch 🤔 ?” ~ Glinda to Dorothy, ‘Wizard Of Oz’ by William L. Baum; these ARE The 3 Witch Stages of 3DLife According to Me with a Nod in The Direction of Alanis Morissette:
♡ Maiden Witch – Generally Good; Maybe Abused
♤ Mother Witch – Generally Good; Possibly Wicked
◇ WOW (Wise Old Witch)- Healed if Abused as a Maiden Witch (OtherWise Remains Wicked); Holding Space for Others to Heal ThemSelves
◇ – Diamond Hard – ◇
…◇◇◇…
ON THEN AND NOW
◇ – Diamond Hard – ◇
◇ Mood is Fascinating EveryOne; it’s Crystal Clear Clarity that We ARE Smiling 😀 One Moment then SNARLING!!! 😠 the Next Moment…this is because we often BLAME!!! Who or What is Happening NOW!!! for what Happened BEFORE!!! in Our Personal Past that We Didn’t Properly Process; being Our UnProcessed Past 😔 Good News is that UnProcessed Past may be Processed at Any Linear Time of Our CHOOSING!!!
◇ – Diamond Hard – ◇
…◇◇◇…
Beautiful!
Thanks so much!!! Hugs and love xox
This pizza looks amazing! I am sure you enjoy each bite, that you eat. Your cheerleader costume looks like fun. Love and hugs! XOXO
Thank you!! Oh it was fabulous! And thanks! I always wanted to be a cheerleader! Haha Hugs and love xox
maybe in the rest of the US who has no idea what pizza really is (pizza outside the tri state is a joke imo)… hate to disagree with you here but here in NJ/NY we get real pizza, now if you went chimmichurri or something maybe I would be impressed 🙂
You are right there, David. NYC knows how to do pizza!! Hugs and love xox
Well, looking at the outfit, I’m guessing you were a cheerleader in high school.
Thank for sharing. 🙂
Haha I actually wasn’t!!! I played soccer and basketball! But I really wanted to be a cheerleader! Thanks for stopping by! Hugs and love xox
that looks quite tasty; now I want pizza for dinner tonight!
hahhahah thanks Jim!
You have my high school initials on your cheerleading outfit. But we were in blue. Anyways the pizza looks amazing. I looked through the list of ingredients and the mention of tapioca flour is something that I would have never guessed. One day when God answers my daily prayers of 2 years and 7 months now, I will have a chef’s kitchen and I plan to go back through your recipes and to just start cooking and baking away. My Mom will have a blast doing it with me as she and I are hooked together for life ever since my Dad died 1 year ago today. She loves to cook and to try out new recipes. And my Mom says that you are cute! As ever you are a breath of fresh air. I really do appreciate your blog posts.
Oh haha nice! Thanks so much! What a kind thing to say! Happy cooking! 🙂 Hugs and love xox
You look adorable in your outfit!! I did not know about the pizza thing but it certainly makes sense if you have little ones it makes for a busy night. Love ❤️ Joni
Awww thank you Joni!! Hope you’re having a great weekend so far! Hugs and love xox
Looks amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and love xox
What a great post! I love pizza. I want to try to make this kind of pizza.
Thanks! Me too! Big pizza fan over here! 🙂 Hugs and love xox
Thanks for sharing your recipe! Will try it 😊
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Hugs and love xox
Don’t forget the day before Thanksgiving. That is a mega pizza day! I love to make Pesto too, except my ingredients are EVOO, parm, basil, walnuts, and garlic. Delish!
Oh nice!! I bet it’s delish with the walnuts!! Hugs and love xox
Can you see my smile through this post? I am excited this is gluten free. I was on here to support you and did not know I would benefit. Thank you for always finding a way to teach me more about being gluten free.
As much as I love pizza, I’m gonna have to try this. Thanks for the share.
thanks Shawn! i hope you enjoy it! it really hits that pizza spot 🙂 hehe hugs xo