In recent times we are becoming a bit more health conscious. More people now watch what they eat. Rather it is for allergies, weight loss, or preference. For this reason it’s a good idea to add a bit of variety to your menu. The best way to add variety to pizza is to give customers a crust option.
The common pizza is made with dough, but there are other grains and vegetables we can use to make pizza crust. Here we are going to focus on Cauliflower Crust. This is one of the most popular requests for alternative pizza crust. This is because of its dietary benefits. Cauliflower crust is generally low in carbs and gluten free. It also contains more protein, and fiber than its’ traditional counterparts.Cauliflower Crust is easy to make. Just use your blender or food processor to grind the cauliflower into a rice textured pulp. Then steam it on the stove (microwave works too). After that you drain all the water out of the cauliflower. For best results use a cheese cloth to squeeze excess water out. Seriously you don’t want ANY water in the cauliflower. Removing as much water as possible helps achieve the crisp texture of the crust. Now you can add the rest of the ingredients. An egg and some Cheese helps hold the crust together. Mozzarella and parmesan are most commonly used. Of course we need some spice. Salt, pepper are a must. You can also add your favorites like oregano, or garlic. Powder spices are recommended so that they blend smoother without creating unwanted texture to your dough. Some people opt to add a bit of flour like wheat, or coconut which can add fiber and helps stiffen up the crust a bit. Mix and shape your dough as normal. When it comes to baking some will par bake the crust only, while other will par bake with sauce and cheese. There are still some who just top it and fully bake it. There are pros and cons when it come to all methods, the key is to find which method works for you. If the crust is not crispy, try removing more water from the cauliflower. If it falls apart try adding more egg.
If you’re looking to save time there are plenty of cauliflower crusts available for retail sale. Caulipower is the USA’s top selling brand of cauliflower pizza crust. Cali’flour foods is one of the original manufacturers of the cauliflower pizza crust. If you’re in the area Molinaro’s, and Trader Joes keep a good stock on the shelves. The downside of store bought crust is that they tend to crumble much easier. If you are having trouble keeping your store bought crust together, try..
- Freeze and keep frozen until served.
- Only thaw what will be used.
- Remove moisture while thawing. (wet cauliflower dough will always crumble.) Heat lamps, or fans work great.
- Par bake the crust that will be used.
- Try a different brand.
