We make pizza every Friday, either using this spelt pizza dough recipe or my sourdough pizza dough (also made with 100% spelt flour). By making the dough at home I always know that I won’t have an upset stomach after, which is great! If you’re also a bit sensitive to gluten or just love the taste of spelt, this recipe is perfect for you.
The dough only needs just over an hour from start to finish. It’s a single-rise – the dough will get a long enough second rise while you’re adding sauce and toppings – for a thin-crust pizza. This recipe makes enough for two pizzas and we usually freeze half.
Pictured is my winter pizza recipe, but also topped with vegan mozzarella. I can only find this type at Fram Haga here in Gothenburg and it is far and away the best vegan cheese I’ve ever eaten. If you’re reading in the summertime, this vegan pesto pizza is also excellent.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Yeast: pictured is fresh yeast, which must be activated in the same way as traditional dry yeast. Instant yeast can be added along with the dry ingredients.
- Flour: pictured is a mix of light and whole grain spelt flour. Use all light spelt for a dough that’s more similar to plain wheat dough.
Step by Step
1. Mix wet ingredients: whisk the water, yeast, and oil together, then activate the yeast.
2. Add flour: stir in the flour and salt to form a sticky dough ball.
3. Knead: for 6-8 minutes, until the dough is soft and quite smooth.
4. Rise: set the dough in a warm, draft-free place to rise, covered, until doubled.
5. Form the crust: roll and press the dough out into a rough circle or your preferred shape.
6. Bake: add any desired toppings and bake until golden.
Recipe Notes
You can use a standing mixer for this recipe, but be careful not to over-mix the dough. Depending on the speed at which the mixer is set, usually 4-5 minutes will be plenty of time for kneading with spelt flour.
Pictured are two types of flour – these are light or sifted spelt, and whole grain spelt. I usually do around a 60:40 mix based on weight and prefer the flavour with a bit of whole grain flour mixed in, but note that doing a blend will result in a slightly denser crumb.
This is a fairly high hydration dough, but resist adding more flour when kneading. It will come together as you knead, and a bench scraper can be helpful. You want this higher hydration for a more open crumb.
I don’t have a pizza stone or pizza oven and haven’t tested making the pizza with either of these. This regular oven method works well.
How to Store
Storage: you can slow the rising time through refrigeration, but the uncooked dough can’t be stored for any length of time. Extend the proving period by 2-3 hours through refrigeration if nedded.
Freezing: uncooked dough can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator, then roll out as usual and allow the dough to come back to room temperature before baking.
Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Use a damp tea towel: no need for plastic wrap. Just dampen your tea towel with a bit of water to prevent the top of the dough from drying out when rising.
- Do a longer rise for softer crust: if you like a really soft, pillowy crust rather than thin crust pizza, let the rolled out dough rest for 20-25 minutes before topping and baking.
- Check your yeast: dry or fresh, yeast should be stored in the refrigerator for longest shelf life. Test it by adding a pinch to a bit of warm water before starting to see if it’s still active.
More Spelt Flour Basics
Vegan Spelt Naan
Simple Spelt Bread
Spelt Sourdough Bread
Spelt Flour Buns
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Spelt Flour Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 250 ml water room temperature
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast or 1/2 cube fresh yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 400 grams spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add the water and olive oil to a large mixing bowl and whisk in the yeast. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. If using instant yeast, it can be added with the flour.250 ml water, 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the flour and salt, then mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.400 grams spelt flour, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until fairly smooth and soft, about 6-8 minutes. Don't add more flour. Scrape the dough off the counter with a bench scraper if needed.
- Once kneaded, place the dough back into the mixing bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Set in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
- Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) and gently punch the dough down to deflate. Divide the dough in half and freeze half for later, or make two pizzas now.
- Roll the dough out into a circle (or desired shape) to the thickness you'd like. Mine is usually about 1.5 cm at the edges and a little less than 1cm in the middle.
- Place the dough onto a lined or greased baking sheet and top with any desired toppings. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Serve immediately.
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