Everyday I walk past the Little Caesars in my neighborhood... and everyday my mouth begins to water like Niagara Falls as I day dream about how magical it would be to eat an entire Hot n' Ready Pizza with a large order of Crazy Bread (even now, at this moment, I would kill to be able to eat that). Obviously, this desire is terrible for my health because, A)it would probably kill me (thanks food allergies) and B) I'm fairly certain it would turn my arteries to plastic upon impact. That being said, I have been abstaining from 'indulging' in all pizza like substances for the last (I don't know) eternity and finally, as of today, couldn't take it any more!
A GIRL NEEDS HER PIZZA!
To be fair this is not a normal pizza (you guys... get with the program, I can't eat normal food... BUT I promise what I make tastes amazing, therefore you can deal with it). I have tried all of the internets 'trendy' pizza crust alternatives (ahem, cauliflower crust can just gtfo in my opinion) and to be honest I'm not super fussed with any of them (not that there aren't good ones... I'm just a snob). While scrolling through Pinterest the other day I stumbled upon a recipe for Chickpea Flatbread also known as farinata, socca, torta di ceci or cecina.
This unleavened bread traces its origins back to Genoa. Over the years it found it's way to other parts of Europe (Niece, Tuscany, and Argentina just for starters) and finally, as of last week, it found it's way into my kitchen. Given its Italian roots it made perfect sense for me to turn this house hold staple into a bomb ass alternative to traditional pizza (I know there is an Italian grandmother keeling over somewhere because I am doing this).
-FARINATA PIZZA-
What you will need for the crust (makes 3-4 8 inch crusts)
2 cups chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups water
1/4 cup coconut oil melted plus 1 tbsp for the pans
Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl, whisking until smooth. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour, allowing the flour to absorb the water fully.
Preheat your broiler to HI... if you don't have a broiler preheat your oven to 450°F
Heat your cast iron skillet with 1 tsp oil in the oven for 5 minutes (so the entirity of the pan gets evenly hot). Remove from the oven and pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan, making sure the entire bottom is covered. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until crisp (if you are baking in the oven, your time will be 5-8 minutes).
Add toppings! I used heirloom tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, and homemade Italian sausage (Seriously divine, I highly recommend it). Place back into the oven for another minute or two until the tomatoes are slightly soft.
If we are being honest this is just a fancy flat bread... but you know what, I'm gunna call it a pizza because A) I want to and B) I want to believe that my way of life isn't all that strange all of the time. Sound good? Ok cool, glad we had that talk.
For all you paleo, gluten free, vegan, health freaks out there, trust me, this crust is going to rock your food-defective world!
Love your faces, have an amazing week.
xx
