This recipe for deep dish gluten free pizza ? is made in the slow cooker. You'll be amazed by how crusty it is!
Ever since I learned how to bake bread in the slow cooker, I've been wondering if I could make deep dish pizza in that amazing, simple ever-popular kitchen appliance. Well I'm happy to report that not only does it work amazingly well, it's so simple that you'll want to do it again and again.
I've used multiple types of gluten free pizza dough (a couple from my Gluten Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread cookbook, even the yeast free pizza crust from the blog), and they've all worked amazingly well. The type of crust in the deep dish gluten free pizza in these photos is the deep dish pizza dough from Bakes Bread, and I think it's my favorite. Maybe since it's born to be deep dish, you know? I like the extra chewiness that comes from the cornmeal in the crust, and that dough is just a joy to handle, too.
Unlike traditional deep dish pizza crust, which is deep but not, well, particularly thick, this deep dish pizza is like a cross between traditional deep dish and Sicilian pizza. Or Ellio's Pizza (remember that? it was my favorite). Follow the ingredient proportions carefully, though, as I experimented quite a lot to get the right crust-sauce-cheese ratio. You want it to be saucy, but you don't want the slices to leak sauce. You want it to be doughy with a nice, thick pizza crust, but it has to cook all the way through without overbrowning outside. Trust me. I'm a professional. :)
Slow Cooker Deep Dish Gluten Free Pizza
Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds (20 ounces) gluten free pizza crust, chilled*
3/4 cup tomato sauce
12 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
*I have used the thick crust pizza dough and deep dish pizza dough from pages 189 and 193 GFOAS Bakes Bread, and the yeast free gluten free pizza dough from the blog—all with success. The deep dish pizza dough from the blog would also work well.
Instructions
Spray a 6-quart oval slow cooker generously with cooking oil spray. Line the slow cooker with a sheet of parchment paper to help lift out the pizza once it’s cooked. (If you only have a 4-quart slow cooker, reduce all of the ingredients by 1/3.)
Place the chilled pizza dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it gently until smoother as directed in These General Shaping Tips. Using well-floured hands and a rolling pin, as necessary, pat and roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into an oval about the size of the bottom of the liner of your slow cooker, rotating the dough and flouring it frequently to prevent sticking (as shown in the gluten free pizza shaping video). Fold the dough in half to lift it more easily into the slow cooker liner, then press the dough into the bottom and about 1-inch up the sides.
Scatter a thin layer of grated cheese over the bottom of the pizza dough and press the cheese down gently to help it adhere. Spread the sauce on top in an even layer, then scatter the remaining cheese evenly on top. Press down gently on the cheese to help it absorb some of the moisture from the sauce as the pizza cooks.
Turn the slow cooker to “low” and cover it. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the edges of the pizza are golden brown and the cheese is melted. If your slow cooker runs hotter on one side (mine does!), after 1 hour, quickly rotate the liner 180° in the slow cooker without opening the lid. Remove the pizza from the slow cooker by holding onto the edges of the parchment paper. If you’d like to brown the cheese a bit, place the pizza under your oven’s broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Allow the pizza to set for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Concept from Pillsbury.
Ann E. says
Every bread, pizza crust, pretzel, tortilla, DOUGH that I make bakes up like a soggy lump. I’m getting so frustrated and HATE being GF.
Janine says
I’m so far enjoying “Baks Bread,” my english muffin bread was a success. Has anyone tried making this with the whole grain pizza dough? I just realized that its not listed in the Options. For now, I’ll let 1/2 the dough rise for a few more days and just bake the other 1/2 in the oven. I would really like to try this in the crockpot,
Rachel says
Do you think this would work without tomato sauce? Maybe either just as cheese bread, or perhaps with an Alfredo sauce? (My daughter can’t do tomatoes)
elq1973 says
Would this work with the Trader Joe’s gluten free flour?
Nicole Hunn says
Trader Joe’s gluten free flour is not one of my recommended flours, no. Please see the links to the pizza crusts that I specify, as they each have their own recommended flour blends.
Jennifer S. says
Love!
Betsy Evers says
Does this work in the slow cooker as well? I have one that more sits on a hotplate than has the heat all around like the crockpot.
Drake Depew says
Awesome! This will let us cook two pizzas at once! Thin crust in oven, Deep dish in the slow cooker!
Mellissa Marquardt Ribares says
Where could I find the recipe for the favorite crust you mention?
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I’m not really sure what you’re asking, Mellissa! Please see the recipe for links to the pizza crusts that I recommend.
suzeyg3 says
I’m going to try this tonight with wholegrain pizza dough as it is the only one I have ready made, it is only half a recipe though so may not be quite so thick, i’m going to add a few thin slices of pepperoni that I will pre cook. Fingers crossed!
Janine says
How did it go with the whole grain flour? Thats exactly what i was anxiously awaiting.
suzeyg3 says
I used 1/2 a recipe of wholegrain pizza dough and it worked perfectly I did turn it up for about the last 15 minutes to brown it I allowed 2 hours. So if you allow the full 2 1/3 hours you probably wouldn’t need to. I’m not sure it would work using the full recipe for the dough. So if you want a thick crust I would stick to one of the other doughs.
Hth x
Janine says
Thanks for sharing. I’ll give it a try then. My dough doesn’t look like it has risen much after 2 days in the refrigerator, i hope it works.
Mellie says
Ohmygosh……YUM!!!! I just have one question…….my slow cooker is a 7 qt. Should I make 1 1/2 recipes for 1 pizza? Thanks!!
Nicole Hunn says
The 1 quart difference in the size of your slow cooker really shouldn’t matter that much, Mellie. I’d probably just make it as is!
Jen Jensen says
This looks wonderful! Could you put toppings on it like pepperoni, sausage or mushrooms?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Jen,
Most definitely! I would layer in some toppings between the light bottom layer of grated cheese and the sauce, or between the sauce and the top layer of cheese. I would definitely cook any uncooked toppings before adding them, though. They would cook in the slow cooker, I’m sure, if you put them in raw, but they will release either too much oil (in the case of sausage) or moisture (mushrooms) otherwise and make the pizza soggy or oily.