No, this isn’t a pizza with zucchini toppings—this is a pizza crust made entirely from zucchini!
Pizza purists might cringe, and they’d be right: this zucchini crust doesn’t have the crispiness, lightness, or flavor of traditional pizza dough. But it gets the job done and satisfies those who are looking to cut down on gluten, maintain a low glycemic index (GI), sneak more vegetables into their family’s meals, or simply enjoy pizza without any guilt!
The Concept
Zucchini is a versatile vegetable, and here, we’re using it to create a pizza base. First, we’ll make sure to remove a lot of its water, then add some flour, egg, and grated cheese to give it the right consistency.
The Flour
This zucchini crust isn’t completely flour-free—60 grams in total, out of around 450 grams of ingredients, which is still quite light.
Wheat flour works best, but we’ve also tested spelt flour (which has less gluten and a lower GI), and it worked beautifully. Next, we’ll try buckwheat flour (gluten-free), and we have high hopes for it.
Pizza Size
Surprisingly, the zucchini crust holds together well. You might think it’s going to break, but it remains flexible and stable.
However, handle it with care, and it’s better to make smaller pizzas rather than one large one. Two small pizzas are easier to manage than a big one.
Pre-cooking
Once the mixture is ready, it needs to be pre-cooked. You’ve got two options:
- In the oven: Spread the dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 20-30 minutes at 200°C (390°F). The benefit is that you can use the residual heat from the oven to cook the topped pizza right afterward.
- In a skillet: Spread the dough directly in the skillet and cook on medium heat. It will be done in about 10 minutes. This is more energy-efficient, especially if you prepare the dough in advance. I find this method simpler, which is the one I describe in the recipe below.
Recipe
Zucchini pizza crust
Ingredients
- 700 g zucchini yields about 260g after draining
- 60 g flour
- 30 g grated cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini using a coarse grater.
- Salt the zucchini and let it drain in a colander for at least 30 minutes.
- Squeeze out the excess water by placing the drained zucchini in a clean cloth and wringing it tightly.
- You'll end up with the base for your pizza dough.
- Mix in the flour, egg, and olive oil, ensuring everything is well combined.
- Add the grated cheese and mix again.
- Spread the dough evenly in a well-oiled skillet. Take your time to spread it carefully, avoiding any gaps that could cause breaks. A silicone spatula or slightly wet hands will make this easier.
- Cook on medium heat until the crust is firm and begins to turn golden (lift gently to check), then flip it over and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Your crust is ready! Now, simply top it with your favorite ingredients and bake it in the oven like a regular pizza.
Mini Pizza Variation
Pre-cook the crust on a mini-blini pan, then top it as you like and bake, or enjoy it cold with toppings like tomatoes and avocado, or anchovies for a fresh twist.