1 tbsp olive oil plus more for oiling the proofing bowl
For simple tomato sauce:
2 cups canned tomatoes, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh oregano
For other toppings:
4 1/2 oz balls of mozzarella, torn into smaller pieces
10 cherry tomatoes
fresh basil
You will also need:
polenta for the baking sheet
Instructions
For gluten free pizza dough:
In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.
In a smaller bowl, mix together all wet ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until you get a very sticky dough.
Turn the dough onto a work surface (don’t flour the surface!) and use a bench scraper to work the pizza dough. Spread the dough onto the surface, scrape it off, and repeat this for about 2 minutes.
Even if the dough is sticky, DO NOT add flour.
Place the dough into a well-oiled bowl, cover with cling film and allow to proof for 2 – 3 hours.
The dough probably won’t double in volume, but it should rise slightly.
In the mean time, prepare the tomato sauce and toppings.
For simple tomato sauce:
In a saucepan or small pot, add the crushed canned tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 15 – 20 minutes with occasional stirring, until slightly reduced (some of the liquid should have evaporated).
Add the olive oil, chopped garlic and oregano. Cook for a further 3 – 5 minutes with occasional stirring.\
Allow to cool.
Assembling and baking the pizza:
Pre-heat the oven to 430 ºF (220 ºC) and sprinkle a baking sheet with a thin layer of polenta. The shape of the baking sheet or baking tray depends on what kind of pizza you want – the recipe above makes a 12-inch (30 cm) round pizza, but you can also make a square or rectangular pizza.
Place the risen dough onto the baking sheet and press it into the shape of choice. The middle of the dough should be ~2-3 mm thick, with a thicker outer edge.
Top with the cooled tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes.
Bake in the pre-heated oven at 430 ºF (220 ºC) for ~16 – 20 minutes, until the pizza base is crispy and golden brown, and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
