Kiki’s Gluten-Free Foods, Arlington Heights, Ill., launched what is said to be the first gluten-free deep dish pizza for the foodservice industry.

This ready-to-bake deep dish pizza was developed with restaurant operators in mind. Commercial kitchens have a challenge preparing gluten-free pizza if they use wheat flour in any form in their kitchens; flour easily suspends in the air and can “contaminate” tools, surfaces, food ingredients or cooks’ hands. Even pre-made gluten-free crusts and pizzas can be problematic if the kitchens don’t have rigid gluten-free protocols in place. Kiki’s gluten-free deep dish pizza is packaged to reduce those burdens on the operator. The pizza is pre-baked and frozen and designed to reheat directly in its own pan. The pizza is only ever removed from the pan once it’s served to the consumer.

“When it comes to pizza, it’s difficult to create a gluten-free dough that achieves the same texture and taste as its conventional wheat-based counterpart,” says Kiki Michalakos, founder. “We heard from so many people that pizza was their most often-missed indulgence since going without gluten, so we’re pleased our great-tasting, award-winning deep dish can help restaurants feed that desire.”

Kiki’s gluten-free deep dish pizza is available in 6- and 10-inch sizes and comes in Cheese, Italian Sausage and Vegan/Dairy-Free varieties.