Pizza

I wish I had taken a picture. 

Edited 2/2/21: I made another pizza and here's the picture.

Keto Veggie Pizza: toppings are onions, peppers, mushrooms, and black olives. Mozzarella and cheddar cheese, and Rao's Pizza Sauce.

Last night, we had movie night with the girls and ordered pizza for them. I made a the (low-carb) Fathead pepperoni pizza for me and Andy that I've been making for years. But this time instead of shaping it with my hands, I put parchment paper over the top and rolled it out as thin as I could. Of course, this made the dough spread out much more than usual, so I placed a pizza pan over the top of the dough and cut around it with a sharp knife so it would make a perfectly shaped pizza that fit perfectly in the pan.

When it was all done, I had such a beautiful looking pizza! It seriously looked like a takeout pizza. I was going to take a picture, but I couldn't find my phone at the time (a phenomenon that occurs several times a day) and I was too hungry to look for it. Not only was it a gorgeous pizza it was sooooo delicious!! Better than ever before. The crust was much thinner than usual and reminded me of that wonderful greasy New York City pizza that you can only find in...well, New York City. I definitely want to make it this way again, so I'm writing it down. And next time I do I am taking a picture and adding it to this post. I will be sure to find my phone before I put the pizza in the oven.

There are so many "Fathead pizza" recipes out there and each one is a little different from the other, so here's the one I've been making for so many years that I think is perfect.  (Along with my new instructions for making a thinner crust and perfect circle-shaped pizza.)

For the crust:

• 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
• ¾ cup almond flour
• 2 TBSP cream cheese
• 1 egg
• ⅛ tsp xanthan gum
• Garlic salt

Toppings:

• Thick pizza sauce (I used Rao's last night - it is probably the best-tasting jarred pizza sauce you can buy and it happens to be low-carb)
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Parmesan cheese, grated 
• Lots of pepperoni slices
• Italian seasoning
• Tools: parchment paper, pizza stone, pizza paddle, round pizza pan, rolling pin

Directions:

1. Place pizza stone on bottom rack of oven and preheat oven to 425*F.
2. Put mozzarella & cream cheese in a medium size glass bowl. Microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring at each interval, until cheese is completely melted and mixed well. 1½ minutes total is usually sufficient.
3. Beat egg and xanthan gum together in a small bowl. Add to cheese mixture. Add almond flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it comes together and makes a dough.
4. With wet hands, work the dough to mix well.
5. Make into a ball and place on parchment paper. Put another piece of parchment paper on top and roll out to make a thin crust. Peel away the top sheet of parchment paper. (Keep the pizza on the bottom piece of parchment paper for baking.)
6. Place a pizza pan over the top of the dough and use a sharp knife to cut around the pan to make a perfectly shaped circle.
7. Dock crust all over (use a fork) and sprinkle generously with garlic salt.
8. Use a pizza paddle to transfer the pizza crust to the oven. Place pizza (keeping it on the parchment paper) on top of the preheated pizza stone. 
9. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until starting to turn golden brown. (The time varies for me, so keep your eye on it.)
10. Use pizza paddle to remove from oven. Top with sauce, cheeses, and pepperoni. Sprinkle lightly with Italian seasoning. Return to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
11. Remove from oven, transfer to a pizza pan for serving, and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes before slicing.

I like to sprinkle more Parmesan cheese and some red pepper flakes on mine before serving. 

This really tastes so close to the "real thing." I have no more cravings for pizza when I make this crust!