Glutino: Gluten-Free Pizza

Some time ago I wrote an article on the futility of gluten-free pizza. Even the product I liked the best had inferior taste and texture. Since then, I discovered Glutino's gluten-free pizzas, and while they are not perfect, they are a significant improvement from products I had previously tried.

I've been able to find Glutino gluten-free pizzas in two flavors: spinach & feta and four cheese. The spinach & feta flavour does not contain tomato sauce and so is less like a traditional pizza to many consumers. Those familiar with "white pizza" (this may only be a New York thing, I'm not sure) will, however, find this less odd. Additionally if you are a celiac who misses spanikopita, this Glutino gluten-free pizza is a perfect replacement in everything but size and shape. The four cheese flavour is your more traditional pizza experience - crust, tomato sauce and cheese.

The crust of Glutino gluten-free pizzas is made from corn starch and tapioca starch and does contain yeast. While the flavour of this crust is not identical to a traditional wheat pizza crust, it is inoffensive and the texture is very similar. Those who favour New York thin crust pizzas will want to heat this directly on the over rack to get the crust crispier and thinner. I find that Glutino gluten-free pizzas bake up fluffier when put on a cookie sheet or aluminum foil.

Glutino gluten-free pizzas take 15 -17 minutes to prepare and don't work well in the microwave, so you'll want to stick with using a conventional oven. Glutino gluten-free pizzas have approximately 430 calories each (it varies by flavour) and those watching their sodium should be careful - Glutino gluten-free pizzas contain nearly half of one's suggested daily intake.

Those with food allergies need to be aware that Glutino gluten-free pizzas do contain egg and dairy and may contain traces of soy, fish (shared manufacturing facilities, I assume) and sesame seeds. I have been able to find these pizzas, along with frozen pasta entrees (I haven't tried them yet) from Glutino at some of my local Whole Foods stores. I have found that Whole Foods, if they already carry other products from a manufacturer (and I think all Whole Foods carry some Glutino products) is very receptive to requests for stocking new items, especially when they conform to specialty diet needs.

The best way to enjoy Glutino gluten-free pizzas is to add your own toppings - such as vegetables or gluten-free sausage (try Wilshire Farms products).