High-Protein Cottage Cheese Pizza Crust
Servings 4 servings
This protein-packed cottage cheese pizza crust is a fun alternative that tastes like the real deal! Instead of waiting for pizza dough to rise, this version uses baking powder for an ultra-fast dough you can through together way faster than pizza delivery. It's the ultimate way to serve extra protein while enjoying your favorite flavors!
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour (all purpose, white whole wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry), plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil + extra for brushing
- Warm water as needed
For making the pizza:
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce, 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese and up to ½ cup of your favorite pizza toppings such as turkey pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, bell pepper, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and garlic powder.
- With an immersion blender or high speed blender, blend together the cottage cheese and 1 tablespoon olive oil until smooth.
- Pour cottage cheese mixture over the flour and mix with a spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Knead lightly with your hands until it comes together into a smooth dough ball. If the dough is too dry, add a teaspoon or two of warm water. If the mixture seems too sticky and wet, add a bit more flour. Set aside to let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Roll dough out to a circle that is between 14”-16” in diameter, using flour as needed to prevent sticking. It should be thin, about the thickness of a pie crust. Place on the parchment lined sheet pan and dock all over with a fork and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with your choice of sauce, cheese and toppings leaving a 1” border. Brush the crust edge lightly with olive oil. Put the pizza back into the oven and cook until the edges of the crust are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, about 10-15 minutes more.
- Remove pizza to a cutting board and rest for 3 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- The nutritional information is based on 1/4 of the pizza dough or about 2 slices. It does not include the toppings as those will vary.
- I used 4% milkfat cottage cheese for this recipe. You could use 2% or reduced fat with no issues. The fuller fat option gives a richer crust. I like to use small curd cottage cheese and my favorite brand is pretty dry. If your cottage cheese is more soupy, you will want to strain off some of the liquid before measuring and blending.
- If you find the dough is too sticky add a bit more flour a tablespoon at a time until it is no longer sticking to your hands or the surface of your counter. If your dough is too dry, add in a bit of warm water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough becomes smooth. This recipe is very forgiving.
- Letting the dough rest for just 5-10 minutes before rolling it out helps to allow the flour to absorb the water and the gluten to relax a bit so it's easier to roll out thin. Do not skip the resting.
- You can easily flavor this crust by adding spices, aromatics or replacing the olive oil with a flavored oil and adding it to the blender with the cottage cheese. Some great flavor choices are Italian herbs, sun dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, chili oil or truffle oil.
- You want to roll the crust out pretty thin, as it will puff up slightly from the baking powder. A thicker crust will act more like a tough biscuit than a thin crust pizza.
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 11gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 481mgPotassium: 84mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 23IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 113mgIron: 1mg
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