This Gluten-Free Dill Pickle Pizza recipe is a faithful copycat recipe for MaiPai's award winning Secret Pickle Pizza - A fantastic pizza!
I’ve been having a TON of fun, now that proper homemade pizza dough is back on the table. I started with Gluten Free Detroit Style Pizza and Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix, and - more recently - shared my Gluten Free Stuffed Crust Pizza.
Today I have a GREAT addition to that collection - a unique pizza that’s perfect for my fellow dill pickle lovers: Homemade Secret Pickle Pizza!
Never heard of Secret Pickle Pizza? You’re missing out - it’s one of the most popular offerings at Maipai, an award-winning pizzeria and Tiki bar here in Hamilton.
All their pizzas as done Detroit style, with a thicker crust, and the pizza toppings resting on top of the cheese. They’re the first place I’ve been to that offers gluten free pizza SO good, that I suspect someone traded their soul along the way!
The thing is, it’s been getting harder and harder to order. I’m glad they’re popular, but ... damn.
So, now that I’ve got a great crust nailed down, I decided to recreate it... mostly. I probably use more bacon, and there’s a full 6 bulbs of roasted garlic in my version, between the creamy garlic sauce, and just straight up roasted garlic cloves as topping.
Sure, it’s a bit of work... but for the great flavour and texture of this pizza, a little bit of work is absolutely worth it, IMHO.
I’ll keep trying to get an order in from time to time (and you should too, if you’re local!), but when I can’t... Now I can have a really great homemade version.
... I just have to plan ahead!
Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need for making this Secret Pickle Pizza recipe yourself!
Ingredients
With one exception, this recipe uses pretty simple ingredients, you shouldn’t have a problem finding almost everything you need most larger grocery stores.
As always, I have some ingredient notes for you:
Caputo Fioreglut Flour
If you’ve been following this blog - or, before it, my gluten free cookbooks - for a while, you know that I am *vehemently* anti-all purpose gluten free flour mixes.
Just due to the way different flours have different flavours and properties, you’re WAY better off using ingredients individually, in ratios specific to whatever you want the flour to do.
I was skeptical of the Caputo flour at first, but between the amazing reviews, and my STRONG suspicion that it was what our favourite local pizza place was using... it was definitely something I was willing to try.
Caputo Gluten Free Flour is a blend of gluten-free wheat starch, dextrose, maize starch, buckwheat flour, rice starch, psyllium seed fibre, thickener, guar, and flavouring.
So, if you’re allergic to *wheat*, this may not be a great option for you... though apparently it’s safe for anyone else on a gluten-free diet - even for celiacs!
... and I’ve made a LOT of gluten-free doughs over the years! Once I had it kneaded together, it looked and behaved like regular pizza dough.
The only way, visually, that you could see a difference was that the inside was more white than the inside of a non gf pizza crust.
As a note, though - you’re going to want to look at this as being a gluten free bread flour, specifically. While it’s great at breads and bread based recipes like homemade gluten-free pizza crust, I hear it’s not great at things like cookies, cakes, etc.
We bought our first bag on Amazon - spendy, but worth it! - but then found a local import grocery store that carried it at a much lower price. SCORE! Check your local Italian grocers, you may find similar deals.
As always, this recipe is *highly* unlikely to work if you substitute any other kind of gf flour for the Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour.
All gf flour mixes behave differently, based on their content - and that goes at LEAST double for this recipe, on account of the wheat starch involved.
Mozzarella Cheese
Aim to use a low-moisture mozzarella chese, or “Pizza Mozzarella”.
Dill Pickles
We use regular dill pickles on this dill pickle pizza, just whatever we have on hand. These are usually garlic dill pickles, kosher dill pickles, or Polskie Ogorki Pickles (Polish Dill Pickles).
If you’re into spicy dill pickles, I bet they’d work great! So would my Homemade Dill Pickles.
... if you’re into sweet pickles, just don’t tell me about it, LOL. To each their own?
Everything Else
Rounding out this recipe, you will need:
Cooking Spray (I use olive oil spray)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Garlic Bulbs
Granulated Sugar
Active Dry Yeast
Thick-Cut Bacon
Baking Powder
Mayonnaise
Fresh Dill
Salt
... I just don’t have anything to add, as far as these last few ingredients go.
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How to Make Gluten Free Dill Pickle Pizza
The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, here is the visual walk through:
Make the Gluten Free Dough
Measure warm water into a glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir in yeast and sugar, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine Caputo gluten free flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and baking powder. Pour in yeast mixture, stir well to combine.
Dump dough out onto a floured surface, knead until soft and smooth, about 3-5 minutes. (Alternatively, knead together by hand, then use a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 3 minutes, or until dough is smooth).
If the dough isn’t a little sticky, add up to1 tablespoon of water, and knead it in. You want the dough smooth, but just very slightly sticky.
Press dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the top of the dough with cooking spray, cover pan with plastic wrap.
Transfer to the fridge and allow to rise overnight.
Roasted Garlic
Note: I cook my bacon at the same time as doing the garlic - that’s in next step!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet or a small baking dish with 2 long pieces of aluminum foil, slightly overlapping up the length of the pan.
Use a sharp knife to cut the top of the bulb off the garlic, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt, then fold up the foil to create a sealed packet..
Roast for 1 hour, then check it - you want the garlic to be golden and mushy.
If the garlic is ready, remove from the oven. If it needs more time, put it in for 10 more minutes at a time, until it’s the desired color and texture.
Once garlic is cool enough to handle - but still slightly warm - Use a butter knife to slide individual cloves out, whole.
Transfer the garlic from 5 of the bulbs to a small bowl, mash and allow to cool. Set the bulbs from the remaining garlic bulb aside.
Baked Bacon
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, separate your bacon out into a single layer.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or so, until it’s as done as you like it.
Remove from the oven, blot with a paper towel, and chop them up!
Note: This is usually the point where I’ll slice pickles and chop dill, as well.
Roasted Garlic Mayo
Add the mayonnaise to the bowl of mashed roasted garlic, stir well to combine. Season with additional salt, if necessary, then chill until ready to use.
Note: For a smoother drizzle later, you can do this in a mini food processor.
Assemble and Bake the Gluten Free Pickle Pizza
2 hours before baking, take the pan out of the fridge.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 500 degrees F, set an oven rack at the lowest position.
Spray fingers with a little olive oil or nonstick spray, and dimple the top of the dough as shown in the post.
Evenly distribute the reserved roasted garlic cloves over the surface, then top with all of the cheese, spreading out to the corners in an even layer.
Bake for 12 minutes on lowest rack.
Loosen pizza from pan with a spatula, then carefully transfer it out of the pan an onto a cutting board.
Cut into squares and serve hot.
Note: I cut the pizza before adding the roasted garlic mayo and dill, so it would be prettier for the photos. You can do it either way.
Leftovers
Once cooled to room temperature, leftover pizza slices can be wrapped in plastic wrap - or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Best served reheated.
We like to microwave it for 30 seconds or so to get the chill off it, then finish in the air fryer (375F) for a few minutes to crisp it up.
More Gluten-Free Main Dish Recipes
Looking for more dinner ideas for the whole family? I’ve got you covered, with all kinds of tasty gluten free recipes!
Cajun Chicken Sloppy Joes
Chicken Cordon Bleu (Low Carb)
Creamy Mustard Chicken
Dutch Oven Jambalaya
Easy Campfire Chicken Curry
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Elk Bourguignon
Gluten Free Beet Gnocchi
Keto Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Gluten-Free Coconut Shrimp
Gluten Free Cod Au Gratin
Gluten-Free Cod Cheeks & Dressing
Gluten Free Crab Cakes
Gluten-Free Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Gluten Free Fennel Chicken Soup
Gluten Free Detroit Style Pizza
Gluten-Free Fried Chicken
Gluten Free Jamaican Beef Patties
Gluten Free Perogies
Homemade Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix
Gluten-Free Sesame Chicken
Gluten Free Spicy Orange Chicken
Keto Taco Soup
Gluten Free Tuna Casserole
Mushroom Risotto
Campfire Sloppy Giuseppes
Campfire Sloppy Joes
Spinach Feta Lasagna (Low Carb)
Stuffed Crust Pizza
Gluten Free Pickle Pizza [Inspired by Mai Pai's "Secret Pickle Pizza"!]
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 Nonstick Pan
Ingredients
Gluten Free Pizza Dough:
- 1 ⅓ cup Warm - not hot - Water
- 2 teaspoon Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- 2 ¾ cups Caputo Gluten Free Flour 420 Grams
- 3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil Divided
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- Cooking Spray I use olive oil spray
Roasted Garlic Mayo
- 6 Garlic Bulbs
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- ⅓ cup Mayonnaise
Assembly:
- 2 ½ cups Mozzarella
- Dill Pickles sliced
- 6 Slices Thick-Cut Bacon cooked then chopped or crumbled.
- Fresh Dill chopped
Instructions
Make the Gluten Free Dough
- Measure warm water into a glass measuring cup or bowl. Stir in yeast and sugar, allow to stand for 10 minutes – it should get very bubbly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine Caputo gluten free flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and baking powder. Pour in yeast mixture, stir well to combine.
- Dump dough out onto a floured surface, knead until soft and smooth, about 3-5 minutes. (Alternatively, knead together by hand, then use a stand mixer with a dough hook for about 3 minutes, or until dough is smooth).If the dough isn’t a little sticky, add up to1 tablespoon of water, and knead it in. You want the dough smooth, but just very slightly sticky.
- Once dough is fully kneaded, swirl remaining 2 tablespoon Olive Oil in a nonstick 9 x 13" pan.
- Press dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the top of the dough with cooking spray, cover pan with plastic wrap.
- Transfer to the fridge and allow to rise overnight.
Roasted Garlic Mayo
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet or a small baking dish with 2 long pieces of aluminum foil, slightly overlapping up the length of the pan.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the top of the bulb off the garlic, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt, then fold up the foil to create a sealed packet..
- Roast for 1 hour, then check it - you want the garlic to be golden and mushy.
- Note: I cook my bacon at the same time as doing the garlic. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, separate your bacon out into a single layer, bake for 20-25 minutes or so, until it’s as done as you like it. Remove from the oven, blot with a paper towel, and chop them up!
- If the garlic is ready, remove from the oven. If it needs more time, put it in for 10 more minutes at a time, until it’s the desired color and texture.
- Once garlic is cool enough to handle - but still slightly warm - Use a butter knife to slide individual cloves out, whole.Transfer the garlic from 5 of the bulbs to a small bowl, mash and allow to cool. Set the bulbs from the remaining garlic bulb aside.
- Add the mayonnaise to the bowl of mashed roasted garlic, stir well to combine. Season with additional salt, if necessary, then chill until ready to use.Note: For a smoother drizzle later, you can do this in a mini food processor.
Assemble and Bake the Gluten Free Pizza
- 2 hours before baking, take the pan out of the fridge.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 500 degrees F, set an oven rack at the lowest position.
- Spray fingers with a little olive oil or nonstick spray, and dimple the top of the dough as shown in the post.
- Brush about ¼ cup of the roasted garlic mayo over the dough, going out all the way to the edge.
- Evenly distribute the reserved roasted garlic cloves over the surface, then top with all of the cheese, spreading out to the corners.
- Bake for 12 minutes on lowest rack.
- Remove pizza, scatter sliced pickles and chopped bacon over the surface. Return to the oven for another 5 minutes or so, until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
- Loosen pizza from pan with a spatula, then carefully transfer it out of the pan an onto a cutting board.
- Drizzle as much of the remaining roasted garlic mayo over it as you want, then sprinkle with chopped dill. Cut into squares and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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My absolute favourite gluten free pizza recipe - hope you love it as much as we do!