The Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Base

Here is an AIP and vegan cauliflower pizza base recipe to try out.

Zero EGGS
Zero GLUTEN
Zero YEAST

It does take a bit of time, but you can make a few bases ahead and store them in your freezer and then pull them out, top them up, and pop in the oven for 15 minutes for a fast and healthy meal. Easy-peasy!

Bon apatite!

INGREDIENTS

700 g cauliflower rice/florets
3 tblsp ground chia or flax seeds
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano powder

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a large baking tray with bleach free baking paper.
Fill a large pot with an inch of water, then place a steamer basket over that. Fill the basket with the fresh cauliflower florets and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the cauliflower is very tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and transfer the cauliflower to a food processor. Process it briefly to make cauliflower “rice.” Let it cool a little.
Transfer the cooked cauliflower rice to the center of a thin dish towel, or cheese cloth. Use your hands to squeeze it, removing all of the excess moisture from the cauliflower. There should be quite a lot of liquid that comes out, close to 1/2 cup.
Place the drained cauliflower in a large bowl, then add in ground flax or chia seeds, almond meal, salt, garlic and dried oregano. Stir well to mix, using your hands if needed to make it stick together. Add some water if needed, but it is meant to be a bit on the dry side.
Press the mixture into the lined baking tray, using your hands to shape the crust into your desired size. The thinner and flatter you can press the crust, the better, but try to keep it as even as possible.
Bake the crust at 200ºC for 45 minutes, checking on it after 30 minutes to make sure it’s not starting to burn. The crust should be dry to the touch and nicely golden.
This is a good time to cook toppings on a separate tray. Some ideas are sliced tomato, onion, pumpkin, mushroom. Remove from the oven when cooked – time will vary depending on what you are putting in.
To get a better firmness to your pizza base, carefully flip the pizza and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Place another piece of baking paper on top of the cooked crust, and using oven mitts, gently turn it over and then put back into the oven. This will dry the underside out a bit.
Once the crust is firm and dry, add your favorite pizza toppings and return to the oven briefly to let everything heat up, about 5-10 additional minutes.

NOTES

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Frozen pre-cooked crusts can be topped and put straight into a hot oven for 15 minutes.

NUTRITION

Calories: 124kcal Carbohydrates: 12g Protein: 6g Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 1g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Sodium: 343mg Potassium: 528mg Fiber: 5g Sugar: 4g Vitamin C: 84mg Calcium: 68mg Iron: 1mg