Homemade Gluten-Free Pizza Recipe: Crispy Crust & Tasty Toppings

If you follow a gluten-free diet, you’ve probably been searching for one thing: a truly good pizza. Over the years I tried virtually every pre-made mix and flour blend I could find. Some came close, but something—flavor or texture—was always off.

That changed when I tried a wood-fired pizzeria in a Chicago suburb known for its excellent gluten-free pies. Their crust tasted like real pizza. The secret, revealed on their menu, was an Italian gluten-free flour: Caputo Fioreglut. I started using it at home and haven’t stopped—my family agrees it makes the best gluten-free pizza we’ve had.

This dough works great in a regular oven and also in wood-fired ovens. The recipe below focuses on making it in a home oven, but the dough itself is versatile.

The Flour: Caputo Fioreglut

Caputo Fioreglut is a ready-to-use gluten-free flour blend formulated for pizza and other baked goods. A 2.2 lb bag is generally affordable and yields multiple pizzas, making it cost-effective compared with some specialty mixes. While you can experiment with other gluten-free flours, Fioreglut is what delivers the closest experience to traditional pizza crust.

Gluten-free Wheat Starch

You may notice “gluten-free wheat starch” on the ingredients list. Although it sounds contradictory, gluten-free wheat starch has had the gluten removed and is considered safe for people with celiac disease when it meets regulatory standards. In Italy, products that qualify for the national gluten-free designation must show gluten levels under 20 ppm and are registered with the Ministry of Health.

This starch helps improve texture and mouthfeel, and reputable brands use it to produce baked goods with more familiar textures.

Other Ingredients

Besides Caputo Fioreglut, you need just a few simple ingredients:

• Instant yeast (also labeled Instant Rise, Rapid Rise, or Bread Machine yeast)
• Kosher salt
• Olive oil
• Warm water

Just five components make a pizza dough that performs like a traditional crust.

Equipment

Helpful tools include:

• Digital kitchen scale — weighing ingredients yields the most consistent results.
• Stand mixer with paddle attachment — speeds mixing, though you can mix by hand with a sturdy spoon.
• Parchment paper — useful because the dough is sticky.
• Pizza stone, steel, or cast-iron pan — preheating a heavy surface helps achieve a crisp bottom crust. A standard cookie sheet works if you don’t have a stone or pan.
• Pizza peel or a flat rimmed cookie sheet — useful for transferring pizzas to and from the oven.

Making the Dough

Yeast can seem intimidating, but this recipe is straightforward. If you can measure and stir, you can make this dough.

Step 1: In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, and salt.

Step 2: Pour in warm water (about 120°F–130°F) and olive oil.

Step 3: Mix thoroughly. In a stand mixer, blend on medium speed for 2 minutes with the paddle attachment. If mixing by hand, stir vigorously with a sturdy spoon until the dough is very well combined and has a texture similar to buttercream frosting.

Step 4: Scoop the sticky dough into a ball, drizzle with a little olive oil and roll it to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.

Step 5: Once risen, you can form pizzas immediately or refrigerate the covered bowl for several hours. Chilled dough is easier to work with and makes shaping simpler.

Forming the Pizza

Gluten-free dough lacks the elasticity of wheat dough, so shape it on parchment paper. Dust the dough with plain white rice flour to keep it from sticking to your hands. Pat the dough into a circle for a thicker, softer crust edge, or gently roll it with a rice-floured rolling pin for a thinner, crisper edge.

Cooking the Pizza

These tips help achieve the best results in a home oven:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. The hotter the oven, the better.
• Preheat your pizza stone or cast-iron pan for at least 30 minutes.
• Pre-bake the crust: slide the shaped crust on parchment onto the hot stone or pan and bake for about 2–3 minutes. At that point you can remove the parchment to help the bottom crisp.
• Top the partially baked crust with sauce, cheese, and toppings, then return it to the oven for another 7–10 minutes or until the pizza is cooked to your liking.

That’s everything—my tips and method for achieving a flavorful, well-textured gluten-free pizza at home. The key is the flour, careful shaping, and a hot cooking surface. Once you try Caputo Fioreglut, you may find it becomes your go-to for pizza, bagels, and other gluten-free baking.

Best Gluten-free Pizza Dough – Caputo Fioreglut

Katie Olesen