I make my pizza dough using whole spelt flour since we can tolerate some gluten, and since spelt, being the grandfather of wheat, is easier to digest and is often tolerated by those gluten sensitive. So it’s my go-to for wheat (other than sprouted or sourdough). If you want a lighter texture or something more similar to traditional white flour dough, try light spelt. Last week my whole spelt flour pizza was amazing and had a light and puffy texture so don’t be afraid to experiment. I also had left it on the counter for most of the day, vs just a few hours and I think that contributed.
vegan, dairy free optional
spelt pizza
oven to 500/550º or BBQ 450/500º, makes 4 large pizzas, with leftovers
(add 1/3 of the recipe for each additional person)
• 6 cups whole spelt flour
• 1 1/2 c warm water
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
STIR 1 tbsp yeast in 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a glass measuring cup. You want the yeast to almost froth and bubble. This should take approx 10 min. (If this does not occur, check that your yeast has not expired. Some people add a tsp of sugar to be sure it’s active/froths but i have never had to.)
MIX the flour and salt in the largest bowl you have (ideally with a large, flat surface at the bottom). I then add the oil to the yeast mixture (once it is frothy) and stir, just before adding it to the dry ingredients.
ADD wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or danish dough whisk until the ingredients are mixed throughout and a ball starts to form. I then use my hands to make sure every bit of flour is incorporated. If the dough is too dry you can start by adding a 1/4 cup of water (more or less, as needed). (I find i’ve never needed to add more then 1/2 cup).
KNEAD the dough for approx 3-5 min (less than white dough (10 minutes) as spelt has a delicate gluten structure (why it doesn’t rise as much) which could be damaged if kneaded too long), inside the bowl (for sake of ease/no clean up – if you prefer the counter, go for it). If your hands are sticking to the dough (you may have added too much extra water) coat your hands in some olive oil so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands when you knead it.
ADD a bit of oil to the bottom of the bowl and take the dough and smear the oil around the bottom and sides of the bowl. I like to flip the dough over so oil covers the entire blob. this will prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl.
COVER the bowl with a tea towel, beeswax cover or saran wrap so that it doesn’t dry out and let it sit/rise for at least 20 minutes, until the dough doubles in size (preferably an hour or two). I LET MY DOUGH SIT ALL DAY AND IT WAS OUR FAVOURITE SO MAKE IT BEFORE NOON, IF YOU CAN.
KNOCK out the air bubbles by picking up the dough and slamming it onto the bottom of the bowl a few times, before rolling out the dough. Because the dough was used to oil the bowl it won’t stick to your hands. I often rip the dough in half, then again into halves, to form 4 sections.
DUST your rolling pin with flour, allowing some to fall onto the counter or board where you will roll out the dough. Move the flour around to cover the area you will roll out the dough, adding another spoonful if you need it. Have your bench scraper on hand to slide it under the dough as you roll it out to your desired shape, to ensure it’s not sticking to the work surface. I like to roll out rectangles if I’m putting it on cookie sheets, or rounds for pizza stones or round pizza pans for the oven. I often flip the dough over mid rolling, to get some flour on the other side, and to be sure it’s not sticking.
FLOUR your pizza paddle so that the pizza slides off onto the stone without sticking. (If you use a cookie sheet you will not need a paddle — see below options.) I like to spread out the toppings (SEE BELOW) around where the paddle rests. Have whoever’s pizza it is come and dress their pizza. In the meantime, rolll out the next dough so it is ready to go on the paddle after the pizza goes in to be cooked. SET A TIMER!
Choose how you want to cook your pizza:
BBQ
• My BBQ gets extremely hot so I set the burners to med heat, stone in prior, and that seems to take the temp to 450/500º – so, it may take a little to get a feel for what works on your BBQ. It also takes longer on my BBQ to get that temp when the pizza stone is on the grill (1/2 hour, whereas without it takes a couple off minutes to reach that temperature). The pizzas cook very quickly on my BBQ, 3 minutes.
• I have also cooked pizzas on the BBQ without a pizza stone. You need to have all toppings out beside the BBQ so you can add them fast once the oiled dough (side down) is on the grill.
COOKIE SHEET IN OVEN
• After you roll out the dough into the shape you want, lightly oil the top of the dough. Lift up the dough and place it OIL SIDE DOWN on the cookie sheet. This will prevent it from sticking. Reshape the dough once it’s on the sheet, stretching out any thick parts, pulling together any thin spots or tears. Place sheet in the oven for 8 minutes 10 min if you like a crispier crust but keep your eye on it so that it doesn’t burn).
PIZZA STONE IN OVEN
• Place the stone in the oven before you pre heat it.
TOPPINGS
• goat mozzarella — easier to digest
• oil with chilli flakes & crushed garlic for brushing dough before sauce or on cooked pizza
• tomato &/or pesto sauce
• dried oregano shaker
• fresh basil leaves
• diced cooked chicken
• chopped onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc
Enjoy!
