[iceman82]

Hello ya'all,

I have been cooking for two decades, just now taking my first chef position in a italian eatery. The place I am going to be managing currently does not offer gluten free pizza , because "they have wheat flour in the oven and that would make the gluten free crust covered in wheat flour".

Pretty sure this is incorrect. I mean, we could be coating with semolina or similar instead of flour, but further more, isn't gluten when proteins mix with water and the glutens are worked ?

Is there some sort of resource that I could find to help educate my  owners so we can offer gluten free?

Thanks in advance,

--IceMan

 

[someday]

First off, kudos for trying to accommodate gluten free people at your new gig.

FYI, semolina contains gluten, it is a wheat flour. So using semolina won't help.

And no, gluten is not formed from mixing or making dough. It is a protein present in the wheat itself and ever present. We WORK the gluten in doughs to make them more developed and tougher (as in bread and pasta) but they are always there.

They are most likely correct about the oven, it is contaminated. People on low or no gluten Diets might not notice, but people with allergies like celiacs definitely can't do that.

Your best bet would be using a pizza pan or sheet tray to bake a pizza with a gluten free crust, but even that might be spotty for celiacs.

It's tough but maybe not in the cards for you guys

 

[iceman82]

Interesting, I guess I need some education on this too. Out of twenty years, you think I would know exactly what I am talking about, but I can't live without gluten lol!

Yeah, a sheet pan wouldn't really do the trick for crispness , probably be to soggy. Not going to stop me from trying. Could I steel-brush the flour off the deck before putting down a GF pizza? Or maybe a marble stone just for GF?

I would like to sell them, considering the demand for it, and the other pizza places in town are selling them.

"I swear Gluten killed Ghandi" ~~JP Sears

 

[cheflayne]

I have worked at places that used cornmeal in the pizza oven, but the oven would still be off limits to people with celiac disease; not only that but cornmeal while naturally gluten fee, is sometimes manufactured by mills that process wheat products as well, so you have to be sure to buy cornmeal certified as manufactured in a gluten free process.

On the bright side, the general public's honeymoon period for gluten free (except for those with celiac disease) is on the wan. Ketogenic is going to be the next hot bandwagon, so beat your competitors to the punch and be the first in your area to offer a ketogenic pizza.

 

[redbeerd cantu]

Would it be feasible to section off a small portion of the pizza oven and stack a couple of pizza stones on top of each other to elevate them above the oven floor?

RedBeerd

 

[iceman82]

Holy moly.... never heard of that before. I will keep my eye on it, Thank You

 

[iceman82]

That I believe is my best option.

Would it be feasible to section off a small portion of the pizza oven and stack a couple of pizza stones on top of each other to elevate them above the oven floor?

RedBeerd

 

[redbeerd cantu]

Did it work?

 

[seabeecook]

I am writing training material for my cooks on food allergies. The best place to find information on gluten is the Celiac Disease Foundation at https://celiac.org/live-gluten-free/glutenfreediet/sources-of-gluten/. The article covers sources of gluten, label reading and cross-contact. This was written for people with celiac disease, not those who follow current fads.

 

[seabeecook]

That I believe is my best option.

You may want to place a disclaimer on your menu, something to the effect: "Although our oven has been thoroughly cleaned, or gluten free pizza are baked in ovens that may contain wheat residue." I suspect someone with celiac disease will avoid a pizza restaurant (I could be wrong!).

 

[iceman82]

Would it be feasible to section off a small portion of the pizza oven and stack a couple of pizza stones on top of each other to elevate them above the oven floor?

RedBeerd

Not in a bind, I can do a couple of em at a time, but in the event I have three or four, I am in trouble. They haven't had gluten free crusts this whole time, so this is really just me trying to find a way to make it happen.

You may want to place a disclaimer on your menu, something to the effect: "Although our oven has been thoroughly cleaned, or gluten free pizza are baked in ovens that may contain wheat residue." I suspect someone with celiac disease will avoid a pizza restaurant (I could be wrong!).

Thanks for the info, good idea.