A Piece of the Pie: Gluten-Free Pizza

Pizza was an at-home venture for many years in my family. After our oldest son was diagnosed with celiac disease, the thought of buying anything from a pizza shop seemed impossible. In high school, I made a few pizzas myself, and remember going home with my hair coated in a thin white veil and my red polyester shirt tinted pink from all the flour. I was a walking dust cloud of gluten.

How in the world could pizza from such a shop ever be safe for my special little eater? For years, our family banished the thought and went on without takeout boxes or pizza parties.

We bought Kinnikinnick crusts from in Berkley or kneaded our own concoction of dough and topped the crusts off with gluten-free sauce and cheese. Sometimes, we would make it out to G.F. Cucina's, a gluten-free pizza shop and restaurant in Sterling Heights on our way to Stony Creek Metropark. It's been awhile, but it was a nice trip. An all-GF facility, it was a safe bet and a good place to buy dough to take home. But, a recent call revealed that the number is disconnected. The website is no longer available, either. So, it was time to try something new.

We got brave and tried Buddy's. I liked what I read about their efforts to avoid cross-contamination and although I still enjoy making pizzas with my little ones, I found that eating a freshly made pie from someone else's oven is not impossible. We ordered a cheese-free pizza from Buddy's and it quickly disappeared with no aftermath.

Now, I have started eying stores closer to home. The best part about it is that, as usual, there are options nearby. The following is a sample of what metro Detroit has to offer, including Buddy's, and what I found out about any efforts to avoid cross-contamination.

Taste: We ordered a vegan pizza with pesto, broccoli, garlic and tomatoes. The crust had crispy edges and a soft doughy texture in the middle. It tasted like a whole-grain, thin-crust pizza that soaked up the flavors of the toppings. By far, this was our local favorite, and worth the steep price.

Steps to avoid cross-contamination: Amici's makes its crust once a week while the Berkley restaurant is closed. Separate pans, utensils – everything – is used to make the gluten-free pizza. Side note: Amici's is a Certified Green Restaurant, implementing full-scale recycling and using energy-efficient equipment and nontoxic cleaning chemicals. This attention to detail serves its gluten-free customers well.

Buddy's Pizza (takeout only at Royal Oak location)

Taste: Buddy's crust tastes similar to the Kinnikinnick crust, which is doughy but a little flaky like a thicker thin-crust pizza. It's a square pizza that is not crumbly and holds up well with lots of toppings. It is also yeast-free. This is my little guy's top pick. He orders it with just sauce and eats it like breadsticks.

Steps to avoid cross-contamination: Buddy's gluten-free crust is made at another site and packaged to avoid cross-contamination. It is baked on a pan lined with foil and served with its own cutter in restaurants. It is endorsed by the Tri-County Celiac Support Group but the website has a disclaimer, stating that staff are not trained “in the intricacies of celiac disease or gluten intolerance” and that products containing gluten are made in the kitchen.

Taste: This pizza tasted the most like a “normal” pizza. For the price ($7.99 for a small round), this was a solid pie. Crispy and delicious. Gluten-free crust is NOT on the menu.

Steps to avoid cross-contamination: The dough is made off-site and pre-packaged. However, the pizza was constructed in the same prep area as other pizzas in the Berkley shop. The same utensils also are used to spread the sauce, etc. Truthfully, this is probably not a good choice for someone highly sensitive to gluten. We ordered a pizza for my non-celiac son because we don't like to have gluten in our house and it was less costly than Amici's. It was a good choice for him. He gobbled it up and I didn't worry about gluten from pizza crumbs around the kitchen.

Dough for Pizza Night

We like to make our own pizza. It's good sensory stimulation for the little ones and good fun. Here is a recipe that I use from a combination of different recipes/attempts. It never tastes the same, as I usually have little hands helping me measure and roll, but the results are always top notch. Helping keeps them busy and I'm sure I'll be using this recipe during the week as they will be home on spring break!

Crust

1 packet (¼ oz.) active dry yeast (such as Fleischmann's)

2/3 c. water at 100 degrees F.

1 ½ c. flour blend of your choice (we use Bob's Red Mill blend or sorghum/potato starch/tapioca blend), plus extra for dusting

2 tsps. xanthan gum

2 tsps. sugar or succanot

½ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Shortening for greasing pan

In small bowl, dissolve the yeast and set aside while it foams (about 5 minutes). Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

I like to gather the other ingredients while yeast is foaming. In food processor with plastic mixing attachment, or stand up mixer with dough-kneading attachment, add yeast mixture and rest of ingredients. Blend until ball forms.

Rub a small amount of shortening on cookie sheet. One ball of dough will make two little pizzas or fill most of a cookie sheet. We divide the dough ball in half and knead into separate pizza balls, adding flour as we go as dough will be sticky. Roll out right on the pan with little rolling pins.

Place dough in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Sauce

1 8 oz. can pureed tomatoes or gluten-free tomato sauce (read labels, some of the Italian seasoned sauces contain gluten), such as Dei Fratelli brand found at Hiller's

½ tsp. each: Oregano, sugar, garlic, basil

Spread sauce on pizzas and top how you wish! The kids like cheese (Daiya brand for my big guy with dairy/soy sensitivities found at the Natural Food Patch in Ferndale), but the sky's the limit. Bake for another 10-15 minutes and enjoy!

Disclaimer: Please make sure to read labels before using any product, as manufacturers may change ingredients or manufacturing practices. The restaurants highlighted in this article all carry gluten-containing products.

Gluten-free options in Chesterfield and New Baltimore

More and more places are starting to cater to gluten-free seekers by offering select items on their menu without the composite. For some suggestions, try checking out:

Passport Pizza 'n' Ribs

The Chesterfield Township pizza place, which was part of Dino's Pizza and Pizza One over its three-decade span in the biz, is at 46566 Gratiot. It has a gluten-free menu that offers certain items, such as pizza and ribs. For more information or to place an order, call 586-949-1800.

A Michigan favorite, sink your teeth into a newly offered gluten-free thin crust listed on its menu online. Dan Good has a restaurant at 35346 23 Mile in New Baltimore. For more information or to place an order, call 586-716-7770.

Know of a place nearby that offers good, gluten-free pizza? Tell us in our comments section.