Given the choice of any pizza I will always opt for a white garlic pizza. I think its one of the best comfort foods around. I also really enjoy ricotta cheese. So when I had the idea to try ricotta on pizza I didn’t look back!
It turned out unbelievably delicious! I used my gluten free naan as the crust here which was a no brainer. That recipe has gotten so much love (and for good reason!) It just makes sense as a chewy pizza crust. All in all between the crust & toppings this recipe is a winner.
If you prefer burrata cheese over ricotta or want to experiment it would taste fantastic too! If you go this route just sprinkle the minced garlic, red pepper flakes and salt over the crust after the mozarella cheese layer.
To make this pizza dairy free:
There are some fantastic options these days for dairy free pizza! Violife is my go to - it melts the closest to regular cheese. Many vegan brands taste decent but just burn and look odd baked. If you can get your hands on violife mozzarella - it will give you the best possible results.
For the Parmesan I really like both violife park or the follow your heart brand!
For Ricotta I think the best choice (and maybe only store bought choice?) is from kite hill.
For a dairy free pizza I would go about assembling it differently. The vegan ricotta & parmesan aren’t going to behave the same way as real cheese in the oven if its on the top of the pizza. SO, I would suggest making the ricotta mixture and then after drizzling the crush with olive oil gently spread the ricotta portion over the base of the crust. Sprinkle with parmesan THEN add the violife mozzarella cheese to the top. I would suggest using 2 cups of it rather than 3. I find less is more with vegan cheese. You’ll get all the same great flavor & texture of using real cheese :)
Lets go over the ingredients!
Better Batter Gluten Free Orginal Blend
This flour blend continues to amaze me. It can do so many things better than most other blends that I have tried. As a result its extremely popular. Usually its available on Amazon and at Walmart. Lately I have been ordering it from the Better Batter website directly. When they sell out- they tend to restock pretty quickly. Check back within a day or two if they are sold out when you look. I buy it in bulk now (20 lbs at a time) as I cant risk running out. I use it in too many recipes that we love.
What if you cant get your hands on it? This may be the case if you live outside the US. My friend Nichole from Gluten Free on a Shoestring has figured out a mock recipe for better batter.Her version should work great in this recipe! The owner (Naomi) of better batter has confirmed that the mix is similar to the official version.
Better Batter so kindly offered me a 35% off promo code to share with all of you! This can be used as often as you would like for every single purchase made directly on BetterBatter.com Use the code: BakingAngell35
Expandex
This bread is truly only possible because of the magic of expandex. It is a modified form of tapioca starch that was formulated to improve gluten free baking. The word Modified tends to worry people- so let me explain further. Essentially they studied tapioca and removed portions of it leaving only the parts that would allow for it to cause amazing elasticity (aka its name) in gluten free recipes. This flour allows me to get an incredible rise with everything I use it in. It traps the air bubbles in the dough just like regular flour with gluten does! Its honestly incredible. If you eat any processed or store bought foods you have eaten many forms of modified starch. Its nothing new- its just semi new to the home baker. Its non gmo and I typically get it from the brand Judee’s on amazon. Under no conditions can you sub it out for another regular starch.
Outside of the US there is a product called Ultratex 3 I have not worked with it but from what I understand its comparable! I would use that in the exact same quantity as the expandex amount that I call for.
Superfine Rice Flour (Brown or White) Do not make the assumption that a flour is superfine unless it is labeled as so. The grind of a flour makes a HUGE difference in how a recipe turns out and how much moisture is absorbed My favorite brand of superfine flour is and has always been from authentic foods. You can order that here: https://amzn.to/3r4zQA4 . While bobs red mill flours are better ground than they used to be- I still do not put them in the superfine category.
Yeast: Any brand will do. Just make sure that its fast acting or listed as instant.This is the brand I typically use.
Xanthan gum: I recently read somewhere that all brands of xanthan don’t work the same. I didn’t know this as I have always just purchased bobs. So- I would stick with bobs for this recipe and all of my recipes.
Oil- Any mild flavored oil will work great. Avocado oil. Vegetable oil or even olive oil.
Milk - While I think that most dairy free unsweetened milks will work just fine, the only thing I tested was oat milk so far.
Sugar- REAL Sugar is important. Its what feeds the yeast and makes this bread possible. I do not recommend swapping in a liquid sweetener as that could throw off the recipe. Please don’t use any keto sugars or even coconut palm sugar. It may not work as well.
Dairy Free Yogurt: For this recipe I opted for forager unsweetened yogurt. I picked this one as texture wise I think its really close to regular yogurt. Im guessing other brands will work ok too- kite hill may need to be thinned out/watered down a tiny bit. You can of course use regular plain yogurt as well if dairy is not an issue.
Yeast: Any brand will do. Just make sure that its fast acting or listed as instant.This is the brand I typically use.
Xanthan gum: I recently read somewhere that all brands of xanthan don’t work the same. I didn’t know this as I have always just purchased bobs. So- I would stick with bobs for this recipe and all of my recipes.
Oil- Any mild flavored oil will work great. Avocado oil. Vegetable oil or even olive oil.
Milk - While I think that most dairy free unsweetened milks will work just fine, the only thing I tested was oat milk so far.
Sugar- REAL Sugar is important. Its what feeds the yeast and makes this bread possible. I do not recommend swapping in a liquid sweetener as that could throw off the recipe. Please don’t use any keto sugars or even coconut palm sugar. It may not work as well.
Dairy Free Yogurt: For this recipe I opted for forager unsweetened yogurt. I picked this one as texture wise I think its really close to regular yogurt. Im guessing other brands will work ok too- kite hill may need to be thinned out/watered down a tiny bit. You can of course use regular plain yogurt as well if dairy is not an issue.
Working with the Yeast
If you have not used your yeast recently (or its not new) and you would like to make sure its active then I would recommend warming your milk to a Luke warm temperature (no hotter) and mixing in the yeast and a portion of the sugar into it. Set it aside for 5-10 minutes. As long as it starts to bubble and froth you know its good to go.
I use my yeast often and know its alive and well so I skip this step and throw everything in the mixing bowl all at the same time.
IF you need to make the naan crust Egg Free- My guess is that this recipe should be pretty forgiving of egg replacers as it doesn’t need to rise of ton and it only requires 2 egg whites. Feel Free to experiment- I think the results will be good!
Ricotta Garlic Blanco Naan Pizza (White Pizza)
Yield: 1 Large Pizza
Author: Brittany Angell
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 14 MinInactive time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 19 M
White pizza has always been my favorite! When I had the idea to add ricotta to the topping it really took the flavor and texture to a new delicious place. Made on a delicious gluten free naan crust and you have a pizza recipe that you will keep coming back to make!
Ingredients
Naan Pizza Crust
255 grams Gluten Free Better Batter Original Blend
65 grams Superfine White or Brown Rice Flour
91 grams Expandex
1 1/4 Tsp Pink Himalayan Salt
1 3/4 tsp Double Acting Baking Powder
2 Tsp Quick Rise/Fast Acting Yeast
11 grams (1 Tbsp) Mild Flavored Oil (Avocado, Vegetable Oil or regular or vegan butter melted and cooled.)
2 egg whites (from large eggs)
189 grams Nondairy Unsweetened Milk (I used regular oat milk. real milk should work too.)
104 grams Dairy Free Unsweetened & Plain Yogurt (I used Forager Cashew Milk Yogurt) regular plain yogurt will work as well.
36 grams (about 4 Tbsp) Organic Cane Sugar
Garlic Ricotta Topping
2 Tbsp Olive Oil to mix into ricotta cheese plus more to drizzle on pizza crust.
3 Cups Mozarella Cheese or Dairy Free Violife Mozzarella (For dairy free less is better & I use closer to 2 cups)
1 Cup Whole Milk Ricotta or Kite Hill Dairy Free Ricotta
2 Tbsp Shredded Parmesan Cheese to mix into ricotta plus more for sprinkling. For Dairy free Follow your heart parmesan OR Violife Parmesan taste best.
Dash of Red Pepper Flakes
2-3 Large Cloves Garlic Minced (1- 1 1/2 Tsp.)
1/4 Tsp Salt.
Instructions
Turn oven on to 325 degrees. Warm it up while you prepare the dough as it will be used to proof the dough.
Add to the bowl of a stand mixer all of the naan ingredients being careful to accurately measure each item. (Note: If you have not used your yeast in awhile and want to make absolute sure its still alive- see my notes below. You can pre-mix it with the milk and sugar to wait and see if its active before adding the remaining ingredients.)
Mix the dough on low- then up to high for 2-3 minutes. Scraping down the sides once to make sure its fully mixed.
Oil a large glass bowl liberally and then add the dough to the bowl. Liberally wet your hands to prevent sticking and mold the sticky dough into a ball- making sure to get a good amount of water on the surface (this will help it rise more!) Place the ball of dough back into the bowl. Cover it tightly with ceran wrap.
Turn off the oven and place the bowl into it. Leave the door open a crack for 8-10 minutes then close it for 35 minutes. The dough should almost double in size. Remove the dough from the oven.
Place a Pizza Stone in the oven & Preheat Oven to 500 Degrees.
Prepare the ricotta : Mix 1 Cup of Ricotta Cheese with 2 Tbsp Olive oil, minced garlic, Salt, Red Pepper Flakes & 2 Tbsp Parmesan.
Add about 1/4 cup of Superfine rice flour onto your counter. Add the proofed dough and kneed a bit to make it less sticky. Place a large sheet of parchment on a cookie sheet with no edges or cutting board that will be used to transport the pizza onto the pizza stone. Liberally oil the parchment and your hands. Place the dough on top and press it out to desired size and thickness keeping In mind that it will get thicker when it bakes. (I press my crust out to 16 inches by 13 inches).
Liberally oil the crust with olive oil brushing it across the surface and edges. Sprinkle with all the mozzarella. Add dollops of the ricotta equally spaced across the dough (It will melt and spread in the oven!) Sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top across the pizza.
Drizzle oil across the top of the pizza again.
When the oven has preheated carefully (but as quick as you are able) transfer the pizza still ON its parchment onto the pizza stone. (Note: be sure to use an oven safe parchment!)
Bake 13-14 minutes or until desired doneness. At this point the broiler can be turned on briefly if you would like the top more well done.
Remove the pizza from the oven by pulling its parchment to lift/move it over to a cutting board. Serve hot! Store leftover in the fridge in a bag or foil for up to 3 days. The pizza is delicious cold too.. but the best way to warm it is in the oven or air fryer.
Notes
If you have not used your yeast recently (or its not new) and you would like to make sure its active then I would recommend warming your milk to a Luke warm temperature (no hotter) and mixing in the yeast and sugar into it. Set it aside for 5-10 minutes. As long as it starts to bubble and froth you know its good to go.
I use my yeast often and know its alive and well so I skip this step and throw everything in the mixing bowl all at the same time.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @bakingangell on instagram and hashtag it #bakingangell
Gluten Free Ricotta Garlic Blanco Naan Pizza (White Pizza)
Given the choice of any pizza I will always opt for a white garlic pizza. I think its one of the best comfort foods around. I also really enjoy ricotta cheese. So when I had the idea to try ricotta on pizza I didn’t look back!
It turned out unbelievably delicious! I used my gluten free naan as the crust here which was a no brainer. That recipe has gotten so much love (and for good reason!) It just makes sense as a chewy pizza crust. All in all between the crust & toppings this recipe is a winner.
If you prefer burrata cheese over ricotta or want to experiment it would taste fantastic too! If you go this route just sprinkle the minced garlic, red pepper flakes and salt over the crust after the mozarella cheese layer.
To make this pizza dairy free:
There are some fantastic options these days for dairy free pizza! Violife is my go to - it melts the closest to regular cheese. Many vegan brands taste decent but just burn and look odd baked. If you can get your hands on violife mozzarella - it will give you the best possible results.
For the Parmesan I really like both violife park or the follow your heart brand!
For Ricotta I think the best choice (and maybe only store bought choice?) is from kite hill.
For a dairy free pizza I would go about assembling it differently. The vegan ricotta & parmesan aren’t going to behave the same way as real cheese in the oven if its on the top of the pizza. SO, I would suggest making the ricotta mixture and then after drizzling the crush with olive oil gently spread the ricotta portion over the base of the crust. Sprinkle with parmesan THEN add the violife mozzarella cheese to the top. I would suggest using 2 cups of it rather than 3. I find less is more with vegan cheese. You’ll get all the same great flavor & texture of using real cheese :)
Lets go over the ingredients!
Better Batter Gluten Free Orginal Blend
This flour blend continues to amaze me. It can do so many things better than most other blends that I have tried. As a result its extremely popular. Usually its available on Amazon and at Walmart. Lately I have been ordering it from the Better Batter website directly. When they sell out- they tend to restock pretty quickly. Check back within a day or two if they are sold out when you look. I buy it in bulk now (20 lbs at a time) as I cant risk running out. I use it in too many recipes that we love.
What if you cant get your hands on it? This may be the case if you live outside the US. My friend Nichole from Gluten Free on a Shoestring has figured out a mock recipe for better batter. Her version should work great in this recipe! The owner (Naomi) of better batter has confirmed that the mix is similar to the official version.
Better Batter so kindly offered me a 35% off promo code to share with all of you! This can be used as often as you would like for every single purchase made directly on BetterBatter.com Use the code: BakingAngell35
Expandex
This bread is truly only possible because of the magic of expandex. It is a modified form of tapioca starch that was formulated to improve gluten free baking. The word Modified tends to worry people- so let me explain further. Essentially they studied tapioca and removed portions of it leaving only the parts that would allow for it to cause amazing elasticity (aka its name) in gluten free recipes. This flour allows me to get an incredible rise with everything I use it in. It traps the air bubbles in the dough just like regular flour with gluten does! Its honestly incredible. If you eat any processed or store bought foods you have eaten many forms of modified starch. Its nothing new- its just semi new to the home baker. Its non gmo and I typically get it from the brand Judee’s on amazon. Under no conditions can you sub it out for another regular starch.
Outside of the US there is a product called Ultratex 3 I have not worked with it but from what I understand its comparable! I would use that in the exact same quantity as the expandex amount that I call for.
Superfine Rice Flour (Brown or White) Do not make the assumption that a flour is superfine unless it is labeled as so. The grind of a flour makes a HUGE difference in how a recipe turns out and how much moisture is absorbed My favorite brand of superfine flour is and has always been from authentic foods. You can order that here: https://amzn.to/3r4zQA4 . While bobs red mill flours are better ground than they used to be- I still do not put them in the superfine category.
Yeast: Any brand will do. Just make sure that its fast acting or listed as instant.This is the brand I typically use.
Xanthan gum: I recently read somewhere that all brands of xanthan don’t work the same. I didn’t know this as I have always just purchased bobs. So- I would stick with bobs for this recipe and all of my recipes.
Oil- Any mild flavored oil will work great. Avocado oil. Vegetable oil or even olive oil.
Milk - While I think that most dairy free unsweetened milks will work just fine, the only thing I tested was oat milk so far.
Sugar- REAL Sugar is important. Its what feeds the yeast and makes this bread possible. I do not recommend swapping in a liquid sweetener as that could throw off the recipe. Please don’t use any keto sugars or even coconut palm sugar. It may not work as well.
Dairy Free Yogurt: For this recipe I opted for forager unsweetened yogurt. I picked this one as texture wise I think its really close to regular yogurt. Im guessing other brands will work ok too- kite hill may need to be thinned out/watered down a tiny bit. You can of course use regular plain yogurt as well if dairy is not an issue.
Yeast: Any brand will do. Just make sure that its fast acting or listed as instant.This is the brand I typically use.
Xanthan gum: I recently read somewhere that all brands of xanthan don’t work the same. I didn’t know this as I have always just purchased bobs. So- I would stick with bobs for this recipe and all of my recipes.
Oil- Any mild flavored oil will work great. Avocado oil. Vegetable oil or even olive oil.
Milk - While I think that most dairy free unsweetened milks will work just fine, the only thing I tested was oat milk so far.
Sugar- REAL Sugar is important. Its what feeds the yeast and makes this bread possible. I do not recommend swapping in a liquid sweetener as that could throw off the recipe. Please don’t use any keto sugars or even coconut palm sugar. It may not work as well.
Dairy Free Yogurt: For this recipe I opted for forager unsweetened yogurt. I picked this one as texture wise I think its really close to regular yogurt. Im guessing other brands will work ok too- kite hill may need to be thinned out/watered down a tiny bit. You can of course use regular plain yogurt as well if dairy is not an issue.
Working with the Yeast
If you have not used your yeast recently (or its not new) and you would like to make sure its active then I would recommend warming your milk to a Luke warm temperature (no hotter) and mixing in the yeast and a portion of the sugar into it. Set it aside for 5-10 minutes. As long as it starts to bubble and froth you know its good to go.
I use my yeast often and know its alive and well so I skip this step and throw everything in the mixing bowl all at the same time.
IF you need to make the naan crust Egg Free- My guess is that this recipe should be pretty forgiving of egg replacers as it doesn’t need to rise of ton and it only requires 2 egg whites. Feel Free to experiment- I think the results will be good!
Ricotta Garlic Blanco Naan Pizza (White Pizza)
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
If you have not used your yeast recently (or its not new) and you would like to make sure its active then I would recommend warming your milk to a Luke warm temperature (no hotter) and mixing in the yeast and sugar into it. Set it aside for 5-10 minutes. As long as it starts to bubble and froth you know its good to go.
I use my yeast often and know its alive and well so I skip this step and throw everything in the mixing bowl all at the same time.
Did you make this recipe?
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