What is Gluten-Free Pizza Dough?
Gluten free pizza dough is a wheat free pizza dough, made especially for individuals with celiac disease, or gluten intolerance. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, which some people have difficulty processing. Gluten free pizza dough is often made from rice flour and a starch, such as potato or tapioca. Other gluten free flours may be added, depending on the recipe. This pizza dough might have a thinner crust, or slightly denser texture than a wheat crust, though when prepared precisely the texture is spot on. The flavor is a mild and fairly neutral.
Ingredients
Water is a substance and chemical compound made up of hydrogen and oxygen. It is clear, fluid, flavorless and odorless. Water is a necessity in nearly every aspect of life, including cooking, baking and hydrating the human body. Water can be served as a cold beverage, or at any temperature comfortable to the mouth and skin.
Rice flour is made by grinding the rice grain. Rice flour can be made using white or brown rice, though white rice flour is used far more frequently than brown rice flour. White rice flour is white and fine like a wheat flour, but has a coarser and drier texture. Rice flour made from glutinous rice has a much finer texture and is almost like a powder. White rice flour can be used for baked goods, as well as pan-cooked flatbreads. It is useful in many savory and sweet applications. The flavor is bland.
Potato starch is a fine, white powder obtained from the tuberous vegetable. The potatoes are crushed and the starch is released and then dried. It has a similar consistency and feeling to cornstarch. Potato starch is bland and flavorless. It is used in food items as a binder and thickening agent.
Shortening is a fat compound used in baking and actually helps to shorten the gluten strands in dough, resulting in a flakier and more tender item. Shortening is often composed of hydrogenated oils, but it is also refers to any solid fat that stays shelf stable for a long period of time. Shortening is white and has a consistency similar to softened butter, but denser. The taste is bland and unappealing. It is not meant to be eaten straight, but rather blended into baked goods.
Tapioca starch, also called tapioca flour or tapioca powder is made from the root of the cassava plant. The root is turned into a pulp using water and once the water evaporates the starch is what remains. The starch is white, fine and powdery. It has a neutral and bland starchy taste. Tapioca starch is used as binder in baked goods, a thickening agent in sauces and other liquids and creates a light and airy quality in flour products when used in the right amount.
Yeast is a single celled organism used in food and beverage production. It both naturally occurs and is added in to certain foods such as breads, beer and wine. Specific kinds of yeast are used to add depth of flavor to savory foods. Yeast is usually sold as tiny beige granules. It leavens bread, ferments beer and imparts a satisfying umami flavor.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
Additives are added to food items in small quantities to improve the flavor, change the texture, enhance appearance, or preserve the item. Additives are both natural and artificial. Natural additives have been used for a long time, while many artificial ones were discovered in the 19th century. There are numerous artificial additives including soy lecithin, guar gum, ascorbic acid and sodium nitrite.
