Gluten-free pizza is a type of pizza that does not contain gluten, which is a binding agent made of protein. Gluten is most commonly found in bread products, such as wheat, rye, and barley. Most standard pizzas contain some of these ingredients, and people who have an intolerance to gluten can become very sick if they eat any food products containing gluten. Fortunately for people who have a gluten intolerance, there are other ingredients that can be used to make pizzas that do not contain gluten. Typical ingredients in the average gluten-free pizza might include rice flour or potato starch.
People who are intolerant to gluten are normally diagnosed with celiac disease. It can be difficult for a doctor to make this diagnosis because the symptoms of celiac disease tend to mimic so many other problems. The most noticeable symptom of celiac disease is digestive upset, such as diarrhea, constipation, and severe abdominal cramping. People who have these problems might ignore them because they may believe they are sick with a stomach bug or that they just have sensitive stomachs. The world is becoming much more aware of celiac disease, and because of this gluten-free pizza and many other foods free of gluten are now readily available.
In addition to rice flour and potato starch, xanthan gum is another ingredient that is frequently added to gluten-free pizzas. If gluten-free pizza did not contain xanthan gum, it would likely be very crumbly and wouldn't hold together well. Xanthan gum acts as a binding agent in food, and it is derived from corn products. Pizzas that contain gluten can be made without the addition of xanthan gum, because gluten acts as a binding agent on its own. In the past, xanthan gum wasn't easy to find in grocery stores, but it has become very commonplace as more and more people are diagnosed with celiac disease.
Making a standard gluten-free pizza is typically just as simple as making a pizza with gluten, assuming a person has all the ingredients he needs on hand. Most gluten-free pizza recipes call for the wet and dry ingredients to be combined separately and then blended together to form the crust. After the ingredients are combined, the dough may be kneaded, rolled out, and baked. Some recipes may require letting the dough rise for several minutes before rolling it out. If a person does not want to go to the trouble of baking her own gluten-free pizza, she can probably find one ready made at her local grocery store with few problems.
