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Pizza · intermediate

Gluten-Free Sourdough Pizza Crust

Key takeaway

Parbake gluten-free sourdough pizza on a ripping-hot steel so the center sets before wet toppings go on.

A steel-baked sourdough pizza dough with 4% psyllium, olive oil, and a parbake option so the center does not stay pale and gummy.

By Andrew KittridgeHigh-starch pizza dough; 4% powder; 85% hydration
pizzasteelsourdoughgluten freedairy freeegg free
Blistered gluten-free sourdough pizza with basil

Prep

25m

Ferment / rest

2h

Bake

16m

Servings

4

Difficulty

intermediate

The short answer

Pizza is high heat and a thin gel. We mix 140g brown rice, 80g sorghum, 180g tapioca (400g), 16g psyllium powder (4%), 8g salt, 5g sugar, 80g starter, 340g water (85%), 25g olive oil. The dough is a thick batter you spread on oiled parchment with wet hands. Parbake 6–8 minutes on a 500F steel, top, finish 6–8 minutes. You will not get a wheat cornicione that inflates like a balloon; you will get blistered edges and a crisp-chewy center if you do not overload with wet sauce. Cool the steel preheat for a full 45 minutes. This is the Friday-night dough.

For the method behind gluten-free structure, read the gluten-free sourdough guide and keep a lively culture with the starter guide.

Why it works

  • 85% hydration spreads without pouring off the peel.
  • Parbake gelatinizes the center before sauce steams it.
  • A long steel preheat is the closest home oven to a deck.

Ingredients

  • 140gbrown rice flour
  • 80gsorghum flour
  • 180gtapioca starch
  • 16gpsyllium husk powder
  • 8gfine sea salt
  • 5gsugar
  • 80gactive gluten-free starter
  • 340gwarm water
  • 25golive oil, plus more for spreading

Equipment

  • Baking steel or stone
  • Parchment
  • Peel or inverted sheet

Instructions

  1. 1

    Mix dry, then starter, water, and oil. Rest 15 minutes.

  2. 2

    Optional 90-minute ferment at 75F for more tang.

  3. 3

    Preheat a baking steel 45 minutes at 500F.

  4. 4

    Oil parchment. Spread dough into a 12-inch round with wet hands, thicker at the rim.

  5. 5

    Slide onto the steel. Parbake 6–8 minutes until the surface looks set and dull, not wet.

  6. 6

    Sauce lightly. Cheese. Slide back 6–8 minutes until blistered.

  7. 7

    Rest 2 minutes so the cheese sets. Cut with a rocker.

  8. 8

    If the center is pale, parbake longer next time or use less sauce.

Nutrition

Approximate values per serving. Always verify labels if you bake for celiac safety.

Nutrition facts per serving
NutrientAmount
Calories280 kcal
Protein5 g
Carbs52 g
Fat6 g
Fiber3 g
Sodium480 mg

Substitutions

Tapioca
Keep most of it; pizza chew lives in starch
Brown rice
Millet for a slightly sweeter crust

Storage

Parbaked crusts freeze well. Finish from frozen, adding 2 minutes.

Notes

  • Sauce should look stingy. You can always spoon more after the bake.

FAQ

Can I skip the parbake?

Only if toppings are very dry. Wet mozzarella on raw GF dough is how you get a gummy middle.

No steel?

An inverted hot sheet pan works. A stone works. A cold pan will not.

Overnight dough?

Yes. Mix, rest 20 minutes, refrigerate up to 24 hours, spread cold, add 2 minutes to the parbake.

Xanthan in my blend?

Use 12g psyllium, not 16g, if the blend already contains gum.

Thin crust instead?

See the thin-crisp pizza recipe and spread wider.

Technique

Keep the method close

Psyllium, fermentation temperature, and a celiac-safe starter matter as much as the formula.

Sourdough guideStarter guide

About Andrew Kittridge

Home baker in Indianapolis documenting gluten-free sourdough: psyllium structure, whole-grain blends, and loaves that actually taste like bread.

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