Homemade Pizza - Cauliflower Crust - Fresh Mozzarella - Heirloom Tomatoes - Basil

I've been wanting to try making pizza with cauliflower crust for a while now.  This weekend when I was at the Farmer's Market, I  bought yellow cauliflower, beautiful heirloom tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella.  When I got home, I realized that I had the perfect ingredients to finally try the cauliflower crust.
I'll be honest..this recipe isn't one of my quickest ones.  But it is fairly easy.  I made it on Sunday night when I had some more time to cook than on weeknights.  The only thing that makes this recipe take more time is that after boiling the food processed cauliflower, you have to strain it and let it cool in the freezer before squeezing all the liquid out.  This process takes about 15 minutes.  However, while the cauliflower is cooling in the freezer, I prepped everything for a big salad. so it wasn't a waste of time.  I was very surprised at how filling this pizza was.  I can easily eat 4 slices of regular pizza, and I ate 3 small slices of this pizza and was satisfied!

Homemade Pizza - Cauliflower Crust - Fresh Mozzarella - Heirloom Tomatoes - Basil

Serves 2 people

• Olive oil, for greasing parchment paper
• 1 medium sized head of cauliflower
• 1/4 cup almond meal (also called almond flour)
• 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons  golden flaxseed meal (ground golden flax seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 large egg

1. Place a pizza pan/stone the oven, or baking sheet if you don't have one. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a large piece of parchment paper on your counter and brush generously with olive oil.  
2. Wash and throughly dry a small head of cauliflower. Cut off the florets and pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. I ended up with 3 cups.
   
   
   
3. Pour the cauliflower into a large sauce pot, add just enough water to cover, and bring to a boil. 
   
   
   
4. Cover, reduce the heat and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Drain the liquid, then transfer the cooked cauliflower into a freezer-safe bowl. Place in the freezer to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in a dish towel or double layer of cheesecloth and wring it out. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy and crispy pizza crust instead of a crumbly mess. 

   

   This is how I squeezed out the
   liquid from the cauliflower

   

   I squeezed 1 cup of liquid out of the cauliflower!  

6. Put the cauliflower into a bowl. Now add the almond meal, golden flaxseed meal, sea salt, dried oregano and dried basil.  Now add your egg and mix. I used my hands, but you can use whatever you feel comfortable with.
   
   
   
7. Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down well because you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don't make it too thick or thin either.
   
   
   
8. Carefully slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.
9. Add however much sauce, cheese, and toppings you want. I added fresh mozzarella, sliced heirloom tomatoes, and fresh basil. 
10. Put the pizza back in the hot oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted,and bubbly.
    
    
    
    
    I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!
    
    -Deniz
    The Chef in the City