Recipe: Rice-Crust Pizza

Rice-crust pizza is a delicious alternative to traditional wheat crusts. It has a crisp edge, slight chew and is strong enough to stay together when you pick up a slice. It’s a tasty gluten-free base for your favourite pizza toppings, whether you go the traditional route or try something with an Asian twist.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

3–4 cups cooked long-grain brown rice (about 1 cup uncooked)
1 egg
¾ cup grated mozzarella cheese
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
your favourite pizza toppings

Method:

Preheat oven to 225°C.
In a large bowl, combine the rice, egg, grated mozzarella and Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and oil. Mix well.
Transfer the rice mixture to a parchment-lined baking tray or pizza pan and flatten using your damp hands or the back of a spoon. Make sure the crust is pressed together and compacted.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Top the crust with your favourite pizza toppings.
Bake the pizza for additional 10–12 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe notes:

Brown rice gives a nice chew to the crust because of the outer hull. The crust will still work if you use a white long-grain rice, but it might not have the same chew to it.
Flavour the crust with other herbs and seasonings to your liking.
This pizza is best eaten the day it is made. If you have leftover slices, refrigerate them and then reheat in the oven for 5–10 minutes before eating.
This pizza crust can be made ahead by completing the first baking step and then saving the crust for later use. Store the cooled crust in the fridge until ready to use.
Top with traditional pizza toppings or try Asian ingredients for a change of pace.
For detailed instructions – with images – on how to make this pizza, check out the recipe on my website.