The Best Paleo Pizza with Vegan Cheese

Nothing has been more difficult than pizza.  I have worked for almost 6 years trying to find the perfect pizza. One that had cheese that melted and a thick yet slightly crispy crust that didn't taste like it was paleo.  We have tried everything from a cauliflower crust, to crusts made with every type of gluten-free or paleo flour.  All have fallen short. We had settled for a crust that was ok but it never tasted like the real deal.  Until this week. My good friend had requested a pizza recipe that wouldn't disappoint so I was back on the search.  That is when I found this one from primallyinspired.com.  I was pretty hopeful going into it and blown away by the finished product! It tasted like a real pizza! It even looked like one too!  Slightly crispy but thicker than the crust we had settled on.  And to top it all off, we had found the perfect cheese.  Just like the crusts, the vegan cheeses we had tried were gross.  They either had ingredients that I wasn't allowed, or a weird taste and consistency that never melted no matter how long they were in the oven. 
Until we found Teese.  It didn't have any ingredients that I wasn't able to handle, no weird taste and it actually melted! It isn't easy to locate and we first found it at Whole Foods but I have since found it locally at one other small health food store in Kalamazoo.  

We have enjoyed this pizza so much that we have made it twice already this week!  I have found that if you prefer a thicker crust then make sure to not roll it out as thin and cook it about 3 minutes less than the directions call for.  This crust is a piece of cake to make and it even freezes well for busy school nights.  We make our own pizza sauce as well. It is cheap, simple, and much healthier than any pre-packaged sauce. I have included that recipe below.  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• optional- 3 Tbs Romano or Parmesan cheese (we omit since we are dairy free but it still tastes amazing!)
• 1/3 cup avocado oil, olive oil, or other fat of choice
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp italian seasoning (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
2. In a medium bowl, add in your tapioca flour and sea salt (and cheese if using) Set aside.
3. In a small pot over medium heat, add your oil, water, apple cider vinegar and minced garlic.
4. As it heats up and comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and add  it to your tapioca flour bowl.  Stir until combined. Set aside for about 2 minutes to cool.
5. Once it's not hot to the touch, add in your egg. Stir until combined.
6. Add in your coconut flour and italian seasoning and stir until the coconut flour is absorbed and it becomes dough.
7. Form the dough into a ball and press or roll out onto a parchment lined or lightly greased pizza stone or baking pan. You will have enough dough to do a 12 to 14 inch circle.

1. Bake 14-15 minutes or until the crust start to become a very light golden brown.
2. Remove from the oven, add your toppings and bake for 3-5 more minutes.  Enjoy!

http://www.primallyinspired.com/grain-free-pizza-crust-paleo/


Pizza Sauce:

• 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat.  Reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes while crust is being assembled. Makes about 1 cup.

http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2008/05/kid-friendly-food-fridays-gluten-free.html