Stop Making 'Weaponized Cracker' Pizza: The Crispy-Chewy Formula That Actually Works

By Gluten-Free Life · February 22, 2026

Your GF pizza crust is failing because you're treating it like regular dough. It's not. It's a hydration chemistry problem, and I've solved it. The secret? 62-65% hydration, psyllium husk instead of xanthan gum, and the par-bake method nobody explains.

The Verdict: Your GF pizza crust is failing because you're treating it like regular dough. It's not. It's a hydration chemistry problem, and I've solved it.

I've tested 47 pizza crust variations in The Texture Lab over the past year. Forty-six of them were structural disasters. Some were gummy nightmares that clung to the roof of my mouth like wet library paste. Others shattered into silica dust the moment James tried to fold a slice. (He looked at me like I'd betrayed him. Fair.)

But number 47? That one bent. It had the snap on the bottom and the pull in the middle. James took a bite, chewed thoughtfully, and said the magic words: "I wouldn't know the difference."

Here's the formula.

The Problem: You're Not Baking Bread

Most GF pizza recipes fail because they're adapted from bread formulas. Wrong move. Bread needs an open crumb and oven spring. Pizza needs a tight, elastic structure that can hold sauce and cheese without turning into a soggy archaeological layer.

The