Product: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Whole Grain Mix – $4.29+
I took a chance on this one.
Honestly. I’m the girl who buys the frozen pizza crusts in order to make pizza these days. Let’s face it. Making pizza dough is a lot of work. And it’s even more of a task when it needs to be gluten-free.
But that’s when the glorious gluten-free mixes by Bob’s Red Mill steps up and makes life a little easier.
I bought a couple bags of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Whole Grain Mix when I was at Big Lots. They had the absolute best price on these mixes (only $2.90) and I really wanted to pick up a few of each while I knew I could. Good thing I did too, because a recent trip to Big Lots left me empty-handed when it came to my Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free mixes. They were no longer stocked. What a disappointment. Back to only treating myself when I can afford it, it seems.
But, to get to the real star of this entry…the mix.
I’ve used one other Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free mix prior to this…and that was his gluten-free cornbread. I didn’t blog about that one (yet) because I don’t think I gave it a fair shake. I tried to veganize it, and the result was…disastrous. So, it gets another shot. I have also become quite fond of the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (which I should review eventually!) for use in a lot of baking (especially my gluten-free waffles!). So, I was a bit hopeful when it came to the pizza dough mix.
The package actually comes with a packet of yeast. YAY! One last thing to have to worry about. Just add warm water, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then add eggs, olive oil, and the mix. Then…do what it’s made for…mix it together.
I don’t have a stand mixer, which is ideal for making doughs up. So, I was stuck using my cheap hand mixer when I combined all the ingredients together. It was a task, but I managed. I ended up, for the sake of the motor of my hand mixer, adding a little more water than what the bag called for. My result was really sticky dough. Oops. I added some herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary) to the mix as I was blending it with the mixer as well, to get all chefy and all with it. It turned out to be a wise decision. With a mass of sticky dough, I hoped for the best, split it in half, covered it with cling wrap, let it rise for 20 minutes, and hoped for the best.
Twenty minutes later, the dough had risen…some. But it was now time to plop it in the middle of a pizza pan and spread it out by hand to the edges. Well, sort of. With my lack of a decent mixer and the stickiness of the dough (my own doing), it was a bit harder to get to spread out. The result, a very rustic…very not-to-the-edge of the pizza pan pizza dough. Oh well. I ran with it. I spread it out as much as I could without ripping holes into it, then baked it for 9 minutes in the oven.
Once it began to brown, it was out of the oven to add the sauce and toppings of choice. Back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes and DONE! That easy.
My toppings of choice? Gluten-free pizza sauce, with gluten-free Soyrizo (from Trader Joe’s), mushrooms, and Daiya vegan Mozzarella cheese.
I was actually a bit worried about my pizza crust because I had definitely added more water than it needed and handicapped the dough a little. But, it baked up just fine and my end result was a crunchy on the outside crust, with a soft on the inside texture. And that, to me, is perfect. The actual pizza crust looks really rustic as I was not able to spread it out as instructed due to my lack of a good mixer. But, the end result was a delicious pizza crust. Honestly, I was holding my breath on this one. I don’t know what it is about me handicapping mixes from Bob’s but I did it again. But, this time…it worked out.
The crust would have been rather plain without the added herbs, and that’s fine. The star of the pizza is usually the toppings regardless. But this mix provided the perfect base for any topping. Gluten-free and delicious. It does rise in the oven as it cooks, so be aware of that when you spread it out on the pan. Let it cool for a moment then slice it up and enjoy.
Gluten-free pizza with your own gluten-free crust can be achieved. Sometimes it’s just a matter of practice makes perfect. Despite my own handicapping of this mix, the gluten-free crust provided by Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Whole Grain Mix was just what my pizza needed. And I look forward to cracking open another package of it and doing it some justice with a proper mixer. Despite my own handicapping of it, this turned out to be a huge win and will definitely be a nice addition to pizza night from now on. It browned up wonderfully in the oven, crisped where it needed to, and was still chewy like all those pizzas you buy from those pizza-to-go joints. In other words, it had baked up to the perfect level of being able to hold up to the toppings without being burnt to a crisp. Yeah…this was a delicious win on the pizza scale.
Even if you don’t need to eat gluten-free, I highly recommend giving this mix a try. My roommate absolutely loved it with her pizza (her toppings were vegetarian pepperoni, vegetarian meat crumbles, and vegetarian bacon – my “Save the Piggy Pizza” combo with real Mozzarella cheese), and raved about not only the taste but the texture as well. In fact, I think we’re already looking forward to our next pizza night. Until then, we have leftovers in the fridge for this week.
Getting gluten-free pizza to go or from your local pizza shop is next to impossible, especially in this area. So, it’s either buy frozen or buy a mix (or do my own from flours I can’t afford to purchase at the moment). While frozen has proven to be a great way to go for gluten-free crusts, nothing quite beats a crust you mix together and prepare yourself. This is as close as I have ever gotten to making my own dough and it yielded a delicious end result. I highly recommend giving your next pizza night a gluten-free boost with amazing, gluten-free crust from Bob’s Red Mill.
Trust me…one slice won’t be enough.
The Celiathlete 
I just made this pizza crust. I followed the instructions to the tee. I didn’t see that it rose any. I cooked it as directed. but the middle part of the dough appears uncooked to me. very rubbery and doughy. We just ate the toppings off it. I’m glad you had better luck with this dough.
The BEST is Namaste brand. Herbs are already in it. Unfortunately the local stores here don’t sell it. And we wanted pizza…
I haven’t tried Namaste brand, but I do see it in the stores around here. I think I’ll pick it up next time and give it a go. I haven’t bought Bob’s Red Mill Pizza Dough Mix since this review, but I made up the other bag I had of it, but this time with the aid of my KitchenAid Mixer I bought myself and it worked out better than the first time. It’s still not my favorite pizza dough out there though and I have a few more in my pantry to try. But, Namaste is now on my list to purchase. Thank you for the suggestion.