- May 14, 2018
- Appetizers
Keto Chicago Style Thin Crust Pizza
My favorite go-to thin crust keto pizza dough recipe that takes only a few minutes, is gluten free and dairy free, and is the perfect crispy, crunchy, cracker-style crust!
I spent 25 years of my life in the Chicago area. When most people think of Chicago pizza, they think of deep dish. While deep dish is delicious, I would venture to say most Chicagoan’s actually only eat it on occasion. In fact, the go to pizza for most is a classic thin crust.
Now, Chicago style thin crust pizza is very different from New York style. Our pizzas are known for their crunchy, cracker like crust that’s rolled very thin. Cheese covers the top of the pizza nicely and it’s typically cut into small squares (no triangles here people).
This recipe is the closest I’ve been able to get to a traditional Chicago thin crust. This recipe is very low carb, doesn’t involve slowly melting and kneading mozzarella (not hating on the fat head dough but sometimes I don’t have the patience) and can be made for the paleo and whole30 followers as well. You can find the complete recipe for this Keto Chicago Style Thin Crust Pizza at the bottom of the page and read on for tips and tricks!
“School” Supplies:
- Food Processor
- Measuring Cups
- Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza Pan (or cast iron works perfect too)
“Class” Notes:
Rolling The Dough:
This dough for this Low Carb Thin Crust Pizza is similar to the recipe you may have seen for my 1 Net Carb Keto Tortillas . The ingredients come together easily in less than 5 minutes in the food processor. I have not tried making this in a blender so I cannot give advice on how the dough will turn out if you use a different method for mixing, just fair warning.
After the dough comes together I pack it into a nice little ball (if it feels a little too sticky I sometimes sprinkle a tiny bit more almond flour over it). Place the ball of dough into the center of a sheet of parchment paper. Press down on the dough ball to flatten it a bit and then place a second sheet of parchment over the top.
To roll out a nice clean perfect circle I’m going to share a little tip! If you look at the dough ball, place the rolling pin at what would be 3 o’clock. You will roll the rolling pin towards what would be 6 o’clock (rolling the pin towards you and making a). Then rotate the parchment paper counter clockwise a quarter turn. Repeat rolling from 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock. Then make you quarter rotation going counter clockwise. By doing this, you evenly roll out the dough into a circle and it should be a lot more even! Continue rolling until you create a 12″ pizza crust.
Baking & Toppings:
I love to bake my keto pizza on my cast iron pizza pan. It’s a hardy pan and with the use of parchment paper there is zero clean up! You can use any pan however (cast iron not required… just loved). I peel off the top layer of parchment from rolling out my crust and then slide the crust (with the bottom parchment still attached) onto my pizza pan.
Brush the crust with a thin layer of olive oil and place it in a fairly hot oven. I allow the crust to bake first, to get the bottom to set and get crispy. Next, I added the toppings. You can add anything you want here but I’m going with a tried and true classic Chicago sausage here. Spoon on the sauce, top with the cooked sausage, add the fresh mozzarella and back in the oven till crispy golden edges and a nice browned cheese topping appears.
Let the pizza set for about 5 minutes before cutting. I prefer to cut my pizza into the classic square shape and dig in! I hope you enjoy this easy and crispy crunchy Low Carb Thin Crust Pizza recipe! If you’re a pizza lover, then check out my easy Keto Chicago Deep Dish recipe too.
If you love this recipe, give this super savory keto friendly Pumpkin Sauce Pizza a try too!
Bon Appeteach,
-L
Keto Chicago Style Thin Crust Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup Almond Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum do not omit
- 2 tsp. Psyllium Husk Powder for texture
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder optional
- 1 Egg + 1 1/2 Tbsp. Water
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 8 oz. Organic tomato Sauce
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- 1/3 lb Cooked Italian Sausage crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a food processor, combine the first seven ingredients and pulse a few times to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, add a beaten egg plus the 1 Tbsp. of water. With the food processor on, slowly add in the egg. The dough should come together into a ball on its own.
- Remove the dough from the food processor and shape into a round ball. Place the dough ball in the center of a piece of parchment paper and gently press down to flatten it slightly. Place a second piece of parchment paper over the dough ball to make it easier to roll out (prevents the dough from sticking).
- This can be rolled out into a 12″ circle. To roll a perfect circle I place my rolling pin at 3 o’clock. Roll a quarter turn towards what would be 6 o’clock. Next, rotate the parchment paper/dough a quarter turn counter clockwise (12 o’clock to 9 o’clock). Then roll again from 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock and repeat with a counter clockwise turn. This helps keep the pressure to evenly spread throughout the dough and creates a nice even circle.
- Remove the top layer of parchment paper. Carry the bottom sheet with the dough on it onto the pizza pan you will use. Brush the 1 tbsp. of olive oil over the top of the pizza. Bake for about 5-7 minutes. The crust should be cooked and lightly browned but not too crispy yet.
- Combine the sauce and seasonings together, use the back of a spoon to spread it across the dough. Add the cooked sausage and cover with the cheese. Return to the oven and cook until the crust browns more and the cheese is melted and golden brown as well. Remove from the oven and allow it to sit for a few minutes before slicing into squares. Sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and more Italian seasoning before digging in.