DID YOU KNOW? Cassava flour is a good choice for those with gluten intolerance symptoms and sensitive digestive systems or disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Cassava flour is derived from cassava root (also known as yuca or manioc), a starchy, high-carbohydrate tuber – similar to yam, taro, plantains and potato.
Starchy tubers tend to be safer for people with gut issues since they contain more soluble fiber and less insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber can be soothing for the gut, whereas consuming large amounts of insoluble fiber when your gut is inflamed can aggravate IBS symptoms.
Once a month (OK fine, every two weeks ?) the BF and I experiment with different pizza toppings for this cassava flour pizza crust. You can find the original pizza crust recipe created by Otto’s Naturals, here.
We’ve nailed down another great recipe which was inspired by my little Jen days. I could always count on a sausage & rapini pizza from Caruso’s Pizza when I would visit my dad on the weekends. This pizza put all others to shame! Looking back, I’m truly grateful my dad was hopeless in the kitchen or else I wouldn’t have got my weekly dose of this pizza ?
So, if you’re looking for a gut friendly pizza with a whole lot of Italian love, this is the one for you!
INGREDIENTS: (serves 2-4)
½ cup warm water (roughly 105-110 F)
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp honey
1 cup cassava flour
1 tbsp coconut flour
5 tbsp arrowroot flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1 egg
¼ cup avocado oil
TOPPINGS:
1/2 cup plum tomatoes, drained and crushed
20 whole mushrooms, sautéed
1 bunch rapini, boiled & sautéed
1 cured Italian sausage, sliced
Sea salt to taste (mix into tomatoes)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prepare yeast mix: In a small bowl, add warm water and honey. Mix to dissolve. Sprinkle yeast in. Mix to dissolve. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to activate. It will get foamy on top.
2. Mix dry: Mix dry ingredients in large mixing bowl to combine.
3. Mix wet: Lightly whisk eggs and olive oil together in a small bowl.
4. Mix together and form a dough ball: Add egg mixture and activated yeast to the dry ingredients and form a dough ball. Transfer ball to an oiled bowl, cover with dish towel and set aside in a warm place (70-80 F is ideal) to rise for 1 hour. It will not double in size, but it will rise a little.
5. Prep toppings while dough rises: Remove stems from rapini, boil until tender and drain. Grab two stove-top pans and saute 1 sliced garlic clove in 2 tbsp avocado oil, in each pan. Add rapini to one pan and mushrooms to the other. Season each with sea salt and coat in oil and garlic. After a few minutes remove rapini and set aside. Add some red or white wine (other liquids work too) to the mushrooms and cover for a few minutes. Remove when liquid evaporates and mushrooms are cooked. Set aside.
6. Once dough has risen, preheat oven to 550 F. Preheat pizza stone, baking sheet or metal pan.
7. Roll and shape dough: Place the dough on parchment paper. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough (if necessary) and shape dough with your hands by pushing down (on top of parchment, so it doesn’t stick) and roll with rolling pin. Flatten your pizza about 1/8-1/4 inch thin. Roll the crust thick or thin (to your liking) by shaping with your fingers and rolling the edges. Use extra cassava flour if dough is sticking. NOTE: Split the dough in half before rolling it out to make two smaller pizzas.
8. Add toppings: Add tomatoes, rapini, mushrooms and sausage onto the dough. Lift the whole piece of parchment paper with pizza on top and transfer to the preheated baking sheet.
9. Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes until dough is firm and slightly golden, pulling out halfway and removing parchment paper. For a crispier golden crust, allow a few more minutes. Allow more time if cooking at lower temperature.
This paleo tuna pizza is absolutely delicious and the perfect recipe for your next pizza night! It’s gluten, grain & dairy free, making it the ideal pizza for anyone following a paleo diet.
The health benefits of paleo tuna pizza with cassava flour crust
DID YOU KNOW? Cassava is high in resistant starch, a type of starch that bypasses digestion and feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut, which can support digestive health.
There are hundreds of different species of bacteria in your intestine. In fact, the bacteria in your intestine outnumber the body’s cells 10 to 1 — WOW!Science has discovered that the number and type of bacteria can have a profound impact on your health.
Whereas most foods feed only 10% of your cells, fermentable fibers and resistant starches feed the other 90%. Resistant starch not only feeds the friendly bacteria in your intestine, but it MAY bind to & expel “bad” bacteria, having a positive effect on the type of bacteria as well as their number.
In addition, resistant starch has also been studied to for its ability to contribute to better metabolic health and reduce the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. This is due to its potential to improve blood sugar control, in addition to its role in promoting fullness and reducing appetite.
NOTE: Products made from cassava, such as flour, do contain resistant starch, but the levels are lower than in cassava root that has been cooked and then cooled in its whole form.
The best cassava flour pizza crust
This cassava flour pizza crust was created by Otto’s Naturals, one of the leading suppliers of cassava flour. You can get the original recipe here or check out the recipe below.
The texture and taste truly resembles regular pizza crust. The BF and I have been super excited to come up with different toppings for this awesome crust. We created this Paleo Tuna Pizza Mediterranean Style this past weekend and absolutely loved it! Let us know what you think in the comments section below 🙂
This paleo tuna pizza is absolutely delicious and the perfect recipe for your next pizza night! It's gluten, grain & dairy free, making it the ideal pizza for anyone following a paleo diet. The texture and taste of cassava flour pizza crust truly resembles regular pizza crust, so you won't be disappointed by yet another gluten free pizza.
Prepare yeast mix: In a small bowl, add warm water and honey. Mix to dissolve. Sprinkle yeast in. Mix to dissolve. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to activate. It will get foamy on top.
Mix dry ingredients in large mixing bowl to combine.
Lightly whisk eggs and olive oil together in a small bowl.
Add egg mixture and activated yeast to the dry ingredients.
Mix to form a dough ball. Transfer ball to an oiled bowl, cover with dish towel and set aside in a warm place (70-80 F is ideal) to rise for 1 hour. It will not double in size, but it will rise a little.
Once dough has risen, preheat oven to 550 F. Preheat pizza stone, baking sheet or metal pan.
Place the dough on parchment paper. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough (if necessary) and shape dough with your hands by pushing down (on top of parchment, so it doesn’t stick) and roll with rolling pin. Flatten your pizza about 1/8-1/4 inch thin. Roll the crust thick or thin (to your liking) by shaping with your fingers and rolling the edges. Use extra cassava flour if dough is sticking. NOTE: Split the dough in half before rolling it out to make two smaller pizzas.
Season tomatoes with half the garlic and sea salt then spread over the rolled out dough.
Break up the tuna in a bowl then add 1 tbsp olive oil, remaining garlic and thyme & rosemary. Combine ingredients then spread over the tomatoes. Add hot pepper flakes, capers, and strips of red pepper. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the entire pizza.
Lift the whole piece of parchment paper with pizza on top and transfer to the preheated baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes until dough is firm and slightly golden, pulling out halfway and removing parchment paper. For a crispier golden crust, allow a few more minutes. Allow more time if cooking at lower temperature.
This margherita pizza with cassava flour crust is the perfect recipe if you’re looking for a gluten free pizza that actually tastes like pizza!
Cassava flour is the most similar to wheat flour when compared to other gluten free flours.
It’s derived from cassava root (also known as yuca or manioc), a starchy, high-carbohydrate tuber – similar to yam, taro, plantains and potato.
As a tuberous root vegetable, cassava is gluten, grain and nut-free, as well as vegan and paleo.
Cassava flour is a good choice for those with gluten intolerance symptoms, sensitive digestive systems or disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or disease.
It is very mild and neutral in flavor. It’s also not grainy or gritty in texture – rather, it’s soft and powdery.
These qualities, along with the fact that it can be replaced on a 1:1 basis with wheat flour in many recipes, make cassava flour a preferred flour for gluten-free, grain-free baking and cooking.
Otto’s Naturals is one of the leading suppliers of cassava flour and they’ve created this perfect recipe for cassava flour pizza crust (you can find the original recipe here).
My BF (who loves his gluten-filled pizza–maybe even more than he loves me!) thinks this gluten free pizza crust is brilliant and the best we’ve created to date. He claims that the texture and taste truly resembles regular pizza crust–and he’s more than happy to make it (and eat it) over and over again. This is super exciting because now I can kick up my feet with a glass of wine while my man makes me pizza!
OK, it’s time for you to give this awesome pizza crust a try! I’ve decided to post a classic margherita pizza first, BUT the BF and I have created more great pizza recipes that I’ll be sharing soon, so stay tuned!
Make this recipe dairy free & paleo! If you are following a dairy free or paleo diet, omit the mozzarella. Add some garlic and/or oregano to the tomatoes to make it marinara style instead.
Love this Margherita Pizza? Then you’ve got to try these …
This margherita pizza with cassava flour crust is the perfect recipe if you’re looking for a gluten free pizza that actually tastes like pizza! Cassava flour is the most similar to wheat flour when compared to other gluten free flours and is a good choice for those with gluten intolerance or IBS. Make this recipe dairy free & paleo by omitting the mozzarella and adding some garlic and/or oregano to the tomatoes to make it marinara style instead.
Buffalo mozzarella, sliced (omit for dairy free & paleo version)
Fresh basil
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste (mix into tomatoes)
Instructions
Prepare yeast mix: In a small bowl, add warm water and honey. Mix to dissolve. Sprinkle yeast in. Mix to dissolve. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to activate. It will get foamy on top.
Mix dry ingredients in large mixing bowl to combine.
Lightly whisk eggs and olive oil together in a small bowl.
Add egg mixture and activated yeast to the dry ingredients.
Mix to form a dough ball. Transfer ball to an oiled bowl, cover with dish towel and set aside in a warm place (70-80 F is ideal) to rise for 1 hour. It will not double in size, but it will rise a little.
Once dough has risen, preheat oven to 550 F. Preheat pizza stone, baking sheet or metal pan.
Place the dough on parchment paper. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough (if necessary) and shape dough with your hands by pushing down (on top of parchment, so it doesn't stick) and roll with rolling pin. Flatten your pizza about 1/8-1/4 inch thin. Roll the crust thick or thin (to your liking) by shaping with your fingers and rolling the edges. Use extra cassava flour if dough is sticking.
Place toppings (tomatoes then cheese then some basil) on the dough. Lift the whole piece of parchment paper with pizza on top and transfer to the preheated baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes until dough is firm and slightly golden, pulling out halfway and removing parchment paper. For a crispier golden crust, allow a few more minutes. Allow more time if cooking at lower temperature.
Add remaining basil leaves on pizza and drizzle with olive oil.
Notes
*Click on the links below to check out my recommended brands of flours used in this recipe
My mission is to help women heal their gut, lose weight and feel great through simple and delicious smoothies, whole food nutrition & healthy lifestyle habits.
