Cottage Cheese Crust Pizza

A high-protein, gluten-free pizza using GetUFit's cottage cheese bread dough as the crust — topped with creamy cottage cheese instead of mozzarella.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups gluten-free flour (or 1 cup rice flour + ½ cup almond flour + ½ cup tapioca flour)

• 1 cups cottage cheese (full-fat recommended)

• 0.5 cups water

• 1 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoons baking powder

• 0.5 teaspoons garlic powder (optional, for crust flavor)

• 0.5 cups pizza sauce or marinara

• 1 cups cottage cheese (full-fat, for topping)

• 1 tablespoons olive oil (for drizzling)

• 1 teaspoons Italian seasoning or fresh basil

• 0.3 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 cups toppings of choice (pepperoni, roasted veggies, sausage, etc.)

STEPS

1. Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) — hotter than the bread recipe to get a crispy pizza crust. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven now to heat up.

2. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups gluten-free flour (or 1 cup rice flour + ½ cup almond flour + ½ cup tapioca flour), 1 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoons baking powder, and 0.5 teaspoons garlic powder (optional, for crust flavor) until well combined.

3. Add wet ingredients: Stir in 1 cups cottage cheese (full-fat recommended) (the crust portion) and 0.5 cups water until a slightly sticky dough forms. This is normal for gluten-free dough — don't overwork it.

4. Shape the crust: Transfer dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet lightly dusted with gluten-free flour. Press and spread into a round or rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Pinch the edges up slightly to form a crust rim.

5. Pre-bake the crust: Drizzle or brush the crust lightly with a little 1 tablespoons olive oil (for drizzling). Bake the bare crust for 12–15 minutes until set and just starting to turn golden. This prevents a soggy bottom.

6. Prep cottage cheese topping: While the crust pre-bakes, stir the topping 1 cups cottage cheese (full-fat, for topping) with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoons Italian seasoning or fresh basil. If it's very wet, drain it briefly through a fine mesh strainer or blot with a paper towel — this helps it hold on the pizza without making it watery.

7. Top the pizza: Remove crust from oven. Spread 0.5 cups pizza sauce or marinara evenly over the crust leaving a border. Dollop or spread the seasoned 1 cups cottage cheese (full-fat, for topping) over the sauce. Add 1 cups toppings of choice (pepperoni, roasted veggies, sausage, etc.) of your choice. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil (for drizzling) and finish with 0.3 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional).

8. Bake until golden: Return the pizza to the oven and bake for another 12–15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the cottage cheese topping is set with slightly caramelized spots on top.

9. Rest & serve: Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes before slicing — this helps the crust firm up and makes it much easier to cut. Top with fresh basil if desired and serve immediately.

NOTES

**Cottage cheese topping tip:** Full-fat cottage cheese melts and caramelizes better than low-fat. For a smoother "melted" look, blend the topping cottage cheese before spreading it — it becomes creamy and spreadable almost like ricotta.

**Crust add-in idea:** Mix a tablespoon of parmesan or nutritional yeast into the dough for extra savory flavor.

**Great topping combos:** Classic marinara + pepperoni + roasted red pepper | Pesto base + cherry tomatoes + spinach | Olive oil base + garlic + roasted broccoli