A super easy and delicious glutinous rice pizza base made without gluten or yeast and with added mozzarella to give the dough extra strength, moisture and elasticity.
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Before I get on with the recipe, some of you may be wondering “is glutinous rice flour gluten free”? The answer is yes. It’s confusing to many because ‘glutinous’ sounds so much like ‘gluten’, but despite the resemblance it has absolutely nothing to do with it. Glutinous rice (also known as sticky or sweet rice) is just a type of rice that’s naturally quite sticky when cooked, hence the name.
This is due to its high starch content – and the fact that it contains only one type of starch (amylopectin) – which gives it a uniquely sticky and much more elastic texture than other rice varieties. And many other gluten free flours for that matter. In fact it’s a wonder we don’t use it more in gluten free cooking!
It’s readily available from most major supermarkets these days (check the ethnic food aisle) or any Asian supermarket. Just watch out for ‘may contains’. It’s quite different from normal rice and the two definitely can’t be used as a substitute for the other so make sure you get the right one. Like this one, for example.
Although I’ve eaten glutinous rice countless times in my life, I had never cooked with it in flour form until recently (when learning to make my own mochi). However I’ve been experimenting with it a lot since then and loving the results.
My latest success being this super soft and delicious glutinous rice pizza base with added mozzarella to give the dough extra strength, moisture and elasticity. ?
Mozzarella & glutinous rice pizza base recipe:
- 40g (1/3 cup) glutinous rice flour (like this one for example. NOT normal rice flour.)
- 20g (1/6 cup) gluten free self-raising flour blend (I used Doves Farm)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- Dash of salt
- 35g (about ⅓ cup) shredded mozzarella (like this one; not the fresh and soft kind)
- 1 egg
- Lukewarm water (if necessary - one teaspoon at a time)
- Optional: olive oil (to brush over the pizza base)
Cooking temperature: 180C (350F)
Directions
Make the glutinous rice pizza base:
- Mix the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt together.
- Add the egg and shredded mozzarella.
- Mix with a spoon or non-stick spatula until it’s as combined as possible, then use your hands to knead the dough. Note: wet your hands first, shaking off any excess, to prevent sticking.
- Add lukewarm water (if necessary), one teaspoon at a time, and keep on kneading the dough until you reach something like in the picture below. It should be just wet enough for everything to stick together properly without cracking.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and flatten the dough with your hands as thin as possible. Note: again, wet your hands first to prevent sticking.
- Smooth and shape the edges with your fingers and or the back of a spoon until there are as little cracks left. Note: for that big picture perfect pizza crust look, make the edges thicker.
- Optional: brush a little bit of olive oil on top of the pizza base.
Cook the pizza base:
- Preheat oven to 180C (about 350F).
- Cook the pizza base for 10-15 minutes on its own, until it starts turning golden brown.
- Add the pizza sauce and toppings of your choice and cook for another 10 minutes, more or less, until the cheese starts turning golden brown. You can also switch on the grill briefly at the end to crisp the crust a bit more.
Enjoy!
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