Low-Carb Pizza Crust and Why all the Low-Carbness?

Why all the low carb recipes? I once was one of those people who wouldn't even consider a lower carb diet. I love bread, pasta, potatoes, desserts, pizza, tortillas, etc. I was the queen of low-fat food for years. However, I was always hungry, and I couldn't lose those last 10-15 pounds.

I was sure that this was a fad diet, that wasn't for me, and that I wouldn't be able to succeed. I had been having some stomach issues and noticed most of my discomfort was immediately after eating foods with higher carbohydrate content and/or gluten. I thought I might have a food sensitivity (I won't use the word "allergy" as I think it's highly abused and misdiagnosed.) I also noticed that I "crashed" after eating lunch most days, especially if there was pasta or bread involved. I.was.always.tired.

My friend Suz had been living the low carb lifestyle for a few months before I visited her one weekend. While I was there, I ate how she ate. Surprisingly, it wasn't so bad. I ate things like a handful of nuts for a snack, a meal containing mostly protein and fiber, and no refined sugars. I made a commitment to try to avoid foods high in sugars, carbohydrates, corn syrup, fructose, etc. Within one month, without any change to my physical activity, I had lost 12 pounds - and several inches - mostly in my hips/thighs/belly area. During this time, I also significantly increased my intake of "good" fats such as nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios), olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, and yes, some other fats such as bacon, sausage, and cheese. I eat a lot of eggs, fresh produce such as spinach, kale, cucumber, spaghetti squash, zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage, leafy green lettuce, peppers, and proteins such as tuna, salmon, turkey, shrimp, chicken, and beef. I have recently introduced more "sugary" fruits such as apples (I love green apples with almond butter! And Jif now makes a low sugar peanut butter.) Anyway....this is working out well for me.

I have since adapted most of my recipes and cooking to a lower carb version and I'm having so much fun with it! I was skeptical when Suz introduced me to this low carb pizza idea. No flour, no sugar, no gluten, basically just eggs & cheese. I was shocked and delighted at the taste.

For the third time I have successfully made this low carb pizza crust, each time I made it a little differently based on what I had for ingredients. The crust isn't going to fool you, it doesn't taste exactly like a regular pizza crust and it isn't as crispy as you might hope. It is, however, delicious and filling.

I used Nancyelle's Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust recipe. If you'd like to see that original recipe, it's here. You will want to precook your toppings. For my toppings, I browned Italian sausage, onion, red & yellow bell pepper, a jalapeno, and baby bella mushrooms. I also used about 3-4 oz. mozzarella cheese for the top.  I used a pizza sauce with the lowest sugar content that I could find, although if you search I'm certain you can find a homemade recipe with hardly any sugar added. You could also make this pizza with a white sauce, chicken, spinach, bacon - the combinations are endless.



Crust Ingredients:

• 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs
• Garlic powder (the original recipe calls for 1 tsp but I thought that was a bit too much)
• Basil (same as above)

Directions:

Crust before baking

Mix the cheeses, eggs, garlic powder and basil well. Line a large pizza pan with parchment paper or non stick foil (I used a round pizza pan and parchment paper every time, so I don't know how it would work to use a baking stone or something else.) Evenly spread the cheese mixture out on the pan, almost to the edge, making it as thin as possible.  Bake at 450 for 15-18 minutes. I usually check it after about 10. You want the entire crust to be evenly browned on top (my edges got a little too brown this time.)

Crust after baking

Done!

Pat off any excess grease and add your sauce (warmed) and toppings including cheese. Keeping the oven rack in the center position, put the pizza under the broiler until the toppings are hot and any cheese you added is melted and bubbly - about 4-5 minutes. I chose to keep my oven temp at 450 this time because I over baked the crust by itself.

Because there is high fat content in the crust, it is very filling and I normally eat just 2 small pieces. This type of eating stays with me longer, and I feel less hungry in between meals. The lower carb lifestyle isn't for everyone, but for me it's become more than a "diet." I find myself eating better foods, reading labels, and feeling so much better overall.

Happy pizza making!