The Dish on Domino's Gluten-Free

I finally ordered a Domino's pizza with a gluten-free crust tonight.

I'd been thinking about doing so ever since the company announced in early May that it was offering the option.  My three biggest reasons—scratch that—my only three reasons for hemming and hawing over actually placing an order were, in reverse order, the taste, the price, and the images ingrained in my brain of those two Domino's employees (from Tennessee?) who performed "unsanitary acts" on the food they prepared for delivery.

Portion of the Domino's box advertising the new gluten-free crust.

I was willing to stomach the taste, good or bad.  And the price, well, that's a double-edged sword but something that, in the end, I was willing to pay.  But that last reason...I just had to tell myself that there are some decent Domino's employees in this world.  Right?

The pizza arrived sliced in a nontraditional way, yielding nine pieces instead of eight slices.

The pizza came fairly quickly, well within the 30-minute time window I was promised.  Domino's only offers the gluten-free crust for its small, 10" pizzas.  Adding three toppings—pepperoni, mushrooms, and green peppers—the total came to $11.99 before the delivery charge, tax, and tip.  Perhaps it shouldn't have been a surprise, then, that the first thing the driver said to me after greeting me was, "Boy, these gluten-free pizzas sure are expensive, huh?"  At least he's honest...

The gluten-free crust is crunchy, a little chewy, and lacks flavor.

You can see from the pictures above that the look of the crust is like that of a thin-crust pizza.  It's crispy like a thin-crust, too.  I think the gluten-free version, however, burns a little more quickly than a thin-crust.  And with that crispy initial bite come subsequent chewy bites.  That crunch and chew combination was something I hadn't really experienced before.

As for the actual taste, there wasn't much flavor.  It wasn't as bland as cardboard, nor was it quite like a "real" crust.  It kind of reminded me of the crust on those cheap $1 frozen pizzas at the grocery store (at least that's my assumption; I mean, how would I EVER know what those taste like...).  There were moments when it tasted sweet, but those were few and fleeting.  After a few bites, I kind of got used to it.  I would brush it off by saying, "But you don't eat pizza for the crust," except that's exactly why I ate this pizza.

All-in-all, it's worth a try if you're curious about the first major pizza chain offering a gluten-free crust.  Otherwise, save your money.  By the way, I should point out that even though the crust is a gluten-free crust, this product is nevertheless NOT recommended for people with Celiac Disease or strong gluten intolerances.  That's because the crust is handled in the same kitchens and using the same utensils as the regular crusts.  Thus, Domino's cannot guarantee that the crust actually will be free of gluten by the time it arrives at your door.  Still, for people with mild gluten sensitivities (I believe I fall in this category due to my Graves Disease) or beginning a gluten-free diet, this is a new option on the menu.

Going Gluten-free

So, here's the thing.  I think I'm going to try going on a gluten-free diet.  Well, maybe not entirely gluten-free.  I probably should start out with baby steps and gradually incorporate gluten-free foods into my diet.

Why, you may be asking?  The reason is that Graves Disease is an autoimmune disorder.  So is Celiac Disease, and those with Celiac must eat gluten-free foods in order to be healthy.  Admittedly this thinking is very elementary, and the logic may be tenuous at best.  After all, those with Celiac must go on a gluten-free diet is because, according to the National Institutes of Health, "Celiac [D]isease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy.  The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats."

Unfortunately for my Graves Disease, doctors don't know what I can do or eat to reverse the effects of the symptoms.  Maybe that's because there's nothing I can do or eat to reverse the effects of the symptoms, or maybe that's because doctors have yet to make the link scientifically.  For some reason, a small part of me thinks it's the latter.  Regardless, I figure it can't hurt to give this a try.

If nothing else, this "project" will make me more aware and conscious of the kinds of food I eat on a daily basis.  Thankfully the switch will be made easier by food companies making more gluten-free products and grocery stores devoting aisles to those gluten-free products.  Hopefully, too, that means the taste difference isn't quite so noticeable as it was three years ago, when a friend and former coworker of mine had to go on a gluten-free diet because of Celiac Disease.

Have you tried incorporating gluten-free foods into your life?  How challenging has it been, and what has made it so?  Or do you think there are other things I could be doing instead of worrying how much wheat to eat?  ( <-- poet and didn't even know it!)