Basil Cauliflower Crust for Pizza (Gluten + Dairy Free, optional to be Vegan too!)

So I know there are a lot of cauliflower crusts out and I thought I would try my hand at figuring out one.  I was a bit skeptical of how it would taste but I was surprised at how tasty it did turn out to be.  It is toddler approved too which is always a plus!  My husband said it was good but if he had to choose, he would still choose pizza with a "real" crust.  Although I thought it was good as it was, my goal is to continue to work on this recipe in order to fully win over my husband.  

What is great too about this crust is that it is gluten free and dairy free.  AND it can easily become vegan as well, if you substitute out the egg and add more flaxseed meal...directions included)  

Even our dog looks longingly at the pizza...

"Hey mom, this is good!" Ok, so he can't talk yet but I can see that is what he meant in his eyes.

The Ingredients:

3 Cups Cauliflower, processed
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, minced
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Garlic, minced (1-2 small cloves)
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Large Egg (Vegan option: omit egg, add 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal to 3 Tablespoons water and let sit for 1-2 minutes.  Mix in as normal.)
1 Tablespoon Ground Flaxseed Meal
1 Cup Gluten Free Flour (I used Mama's Almond Blend Flour)

The Steps:

1) Cut off the green stem/leaves of the cauliflower.  Break apart or chop large sections of the cauliflower and place in food processor.  Pulse until you get a fine looking crumb texture.

2) Place cauliflower in a medium stock pan and add basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and oil.  Saute over medium high heat for about 7-9 minutes until the cauliflower is completely softened.

3) Next add in the egg and ground flaxseed meal and mix well.

4) Add in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time.  Fold in flour with a spatula.

Dough at 3/4 Cup Flour.

Dough at 1 Cup Flour - a little sticky but just right to begin pressing dough out onto the baking sheet. 

5) Place on parchment paper on top of a 12" round pizza baking sheet.  The dough will still be sticky, so have some extra flour on hand you can sprinkle a couple times over the dough until it is pressed down evenly on the baking sheet.  Press dough down with fingers to get dough as close to the edge as possible without making the dough too thin.  This was enough to fit just inside the 12" pizza baking sheet.

6) Bake crust at 425 degrees for 13-16 minutes or until crust's edges are light golden brown.  If you prefer the bottom of your crust to be crispier, I would recommend placing it directly on a rack (on the parchment paper though so it doesn't stick to the oven rack).  

7) Top with your favorite sauce...I like to use the Organic Tomato Basil Marinara from Trader Joe's.  Top with your preferred cheese + toppings...I kept it simple by adding Organic Sharp Cheddar cheese, Pecorino Romano Cheese, and fresh chopped Organic Basil.  I baked it then on BROIL for 5-8 minutes or until bubbling and cheese has turned golden brown (or less brown if you do not prefer your cheese that way).