Gluten-free Pizza Treat

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Sandy Bupp's gluten-free support group is still going strong after starting up a few months ago. Her class was treated to three different pizzas and a variety of breadsticks on March 25. Anyone interested may want to note: she brings a sampling of delicious food to each of the monthly meetings!

Sandy's showing that a gluten-free diet doesn't have to be boring or too difficult.

She's helping the community as a great resource to people with celiac disease and those with other wheat sensitivities.

The next support meeting is set for April 22 in the Johnnie Titus room of the Grant County Health Department.

The following recipe is one Sandy said she found in "The Gluten-Free Kitchen" by Robyn Ryberg.

Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

1 packet yeast (2 Tbsp.)

3/4 C. milk, room temperature

1/2 C. potato starch

3/4 C. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. xanthum gum (available at health-food stores)

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 C. shortening

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine yeast and milk. Stir to dissolve yeast. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients and shortening. Mix well. To dry ingredients, slowly add milk/yeast mixture. Mix well. Dough will look wet, thick and pasty, but is quite workable if you spray your hands with nonstick spray or keep them damp with water. This is a soft dough.

Roll or pat out dough onto a lightly greased baking tin or pizza pan. For a thick crust, pat out dough to 1/4" thickness. For a thin crust, pat out dough to 1/8" thickness. A 12" circle will produce a "hand-tossed" thickness - not too thick, not too thin.

Top as desired. Bake 15-25 minutes, until crust is lightly browned. Use a spatula to lift up the pizza to check for light browning on the bottom of the crust the first time you make it.

Calories, 202; protein, 2g; Fat, 9g; fiber, 4g; cholesterol, 2mg; sodium, 337mg; carbohydrates, 28g.