Gluten-Free Focaccia Crust Pizza

Let’s Talk About the Crust

The true star of this recipe is the gluten-free focaccia bread that is used as the pizza crust. The bread must be a balance of crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. My Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread recipe executes this perfectly and is so easy to make! The recipe comes together in only a hour and yields the perfect size for a big pizza.

If you’re looking for some tips on how to make the best gluten-free focaccia bread, be sure to check out my recipe. Trust me, you’ll be shocked by how easy it is. When I first went gluten-free, I was terrified to try my hand at bread making. That being said, after some trial and error with this recipe, I realized how simple it could be if you took your time and had the right ingredients. The end result is a texture so beautiful and tasty that your friends will have a hard time believing it’s actually gluten-free! You may even want to make two loaves, one for your pizza and one to enjoy with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Crust First

If you follow my Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread recipe, pull the bread out after 20 minutes. My recipe states to cook the bread for 23 minutes, then broil on high for two minutes. You want to pull the brad out early, so that you can add the sauce and cheese before putting it back in the oven to cook. If you allow the bread to cook the full 25 minutes, then add your toppings and put it back in the oven, the crust will overcook. Instead of the final result being a crust with a crispy exterior and fluffy interior, it’ll be chewy. So, remember: pull out the focaccia bread at 20 minutes!

The Foundation of the Pizza

Enough about the crust, it’s time to talk about the pizza! This recipe features a homemade pesto, shredded mozzarella cheese, fresh peaches, prosciutto, arugula, burrata and a balsamic vinegar glaze. This pizza is perfect for summer when peaches are in season! While you can customize this pizza however you’d like, I’m going to walk you through how to make this exact recipe.

The sauce used for this recipe is my homemade kale pesto! This bright pesto is packed with delicious flavors and comes together in the blink of an eye. Start by washing and removing the stems from four and a half cups of Tuscan kale. Then, add the kale to a blender or food processor with:

• One and one fourth cups parmesan cheese
• One cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• One third cup olive oil
• One half cup fresh lemon juice
• One a half cups of basil
• Pinch of salt & pepper

Once all of the ingredients are in, blend for two minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides as need be. This recipe will yield about six servings of pesto, and we will not be using all of it for the pizza. More pesto for you! Spread about three fourths cup of pesto sauce over the focaccia crust. Make sure the sauce is distributed evenly across the crust.

Time for the Toppings

Sprinkle one and a half cups of shredded mozzarella cheese over the pesto. Then, it’s time for the peaches and prosciutto! While you can add these after the pizza cooks, I love the warm peaches with the crispy prosciutto. Slice one peach very thinly and place the slices across the pizza. Next, cut five prosciutto pieces in half, vertically so that you have long strips of prosciutto. Scatter the prosciutto across the pizza, then place the pizza back in the oven. Cook for five to seven minutes at 400 degrees.

After the allotted time, allow the pizza to cool for ten minutes before adding any other toppings. Once cooled, top with about two cups of arugula and one to two balls of burrata. My favorite is the black truffle burrata balls, but you really can’t go wrong when it comes to burrata! Finish your pizza with a balsamic vinegar glaze and enjoy.