Spelt Flour Pizza Dough

Spelt is an ancestor of modern wheat and offers a slightly sweeter taste and a bit more rustic texture. Making pizza dough with spelt flour can be a great way to vary the taste of your pizza. Here’s a basic recipe for spelt flour pizza dough.

Ingredients

• 500 g of spelt flour
• 325 ml of lukewarm water
• 15 g of fresh yeast or 7 g of active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water with the sugar (if using dry yeast, make sure it is activated by following the instructions on the package).
2. Add half of the spelt flour and mix well until you have a smooth mixture.
3. Gradually incorporate the rest of the flour, the salt, and the extra virgin olive oil. Knead everything until you have a smooth and elastic dough.
4. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in volume.
5. Once the dough has risen, take it, give it a brief knead, and then roll it out to form the base of the pizza.
6. Preheat the oven to the highest temperature. Top your pizza with the ingredients of your choice and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges appear golden and crispy.

Trivia

Spelt flour may absorb less liquid compared to wheat flour, so you might need to adjust the amount of water slightly. Furthermore, spelt contains less gluten compared to modern wheat, so the dough’s texture will be slightly different and may not rise as much as a classic dough. Despite this, it will give your pizza a unique and delicious flavor.