Vegan Gluten Free Roasted Cherry Tomato Pizza

I know, I know. You think that tomatoes and basil is just so obvious on a pizza. It’s been done a million times before. I know, I know.

But I promise, if you are looking for a gluten free, vegan pizza, it is hard to get much better that this!

It may have a very traditional flavor profile, but my goodness its classic for a reason, right?

I think that the addition of creamy almond ricotta, the tangy tomato sauce, fresh basil leaves, a touch of spicy red pepper and then the sweet roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic are totally out of this world. If you wanted to zush things even further you could definitely add a drizzle of balsamic glaze and it would be really fantastic.

Enjoy!!

Vegan Gluten Free Roasted Cherry Tomato Pizza

Author: Heather Christo

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 60 mins

Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Gluten Free Pizza Crust:
1 and ¼ cups hot water (between 110 – 115ºF)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 cup tapioca starch
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup potato starch
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup Gluten-Free millet flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 tablespoons white sugar (or beet sugar)
¼ cup good olive oil
¼ cup aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid)
2 teaspoon white vinegar
Olive oil
Tomato Sauce:
1 cup canned tomato puree
½ teaspoon dried oregano
kosher salt
Roasted Cherry Tomato:
2 cups cherry tomatoes
6 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup olive oil
kosher salt
For the Pizza:
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup Almond Ricotta (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a sheet pan with olive oil and set aside.
Proof the yeast in 1¼ cup warm water (110-115 degrees) with the 1 teaspoon of sugar.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the proofed yeast to the dry ingredients. Add the olive oil, aquafaba and vinegar.
Beat the dough until you have a smooth and sticky batter. The pizza dough should be creamy smooth and not too thick. It reminds me of a soft cookie dough consistency.
Transfer the dough onto the center of a prepared pizza pan. Then, using clean, wet hands press down lightly and flatten the dough to create a thin, even pizza shell, with slightly raised edges for the crust. (I had to constantly keep wetting my hands as I went along. The water helps to shape it smoothly.) Remember that the dough is VERY soft and if you try to touch it with dry hands it will simply tear away from the pan. Take your time to smooth out the dough with wet palms. Get it as smooth as possible, and thin in the center.
Set the pizza crust in a draft free spot to rest and rise, about 15 minutes.
While the pizza rests, line a sheet pan with foil, turning up the edges (so that you have a dish with sides so that you can trap the juices) and place on it the cherry tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes and toss with the ¼ cup of olive oil. Sprinkle everything with kosher salt.
Brush the crust with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and place the pizza pan in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Also place the cherry tomatoes in the oven to roast.
Remove the crusts and the cherry tomatoes from the oven. Spread the tomato puree over the pizza. Sprinkle the sauce with the oregano and with kosher salt.
Add dollops of the almond ricotta (if you are using) and then spoon the roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic onto the pizza (reserve the sauce from the roasted cherry tomatoes. Place back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes until the almond ricotta is hot. Add the fresh basil and spoon the sauce from the cherry tomatoes over the pizza. Slice and serve!