The Absurdly Tasty Gluten-Free Crust Alternative For Homemade Pizza

All is not lost in the quest for a delicious homemade gluten-free pizza if you think outside the box. No, we're not talking about cauliflower crust pizza, which often requires egg as a binding ingredient or even a crust made with gluten-free flour and a long list of other ingredients. This pizza crust alternative uses a tasty Northern Italian staple: polenta. 

You can make the perfect polenta with nothing but ground cornmeal, salt and water, but the dish often has butter or oil, and parmesan cheese added in the final stages. The rich, buttery taste of polenta makes for an absurdly tasty pizza crust, which is still mild enough to take on the other flavors of the pizza.

Cornmeal is naturally gluten-free but may be produced in facilities that also make products containing gluten, leading to the possibility of cross-contact. Check for a gluten-free certification symbol on the polenta package if you have celiac disease or are otherwise strict about avoiding gluten.

You can make polenta from scratch, use instant polenta, or buy a pre-made tube. Whichever polenta you've prepared, press it into a sheet pan or pizza pan — you want it to be about ½-inch thick. It helps to use a piece of parchment paper to prevent the dough from adhering to your hands. You can also sprinkle dry cornmeal onto the pan to help prevent the crust from sticking or line the pan with more parchment paper before baking. Chill the polenta in the pan for at least an hour in the fridge so it can firm up. 

For the best results you'll want to crisp up the pizza crust by brushing it with oil and baking it in the oven for 15 to 30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit — until it looks golden brown. Then, pick the sauce and toppings of your choice. If you're adding veggies, sauté them first to release moisture to prevent the crust from getting soggy. Top with shredded mozzarella or your favorite melty cheese, and pop back in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbling.