Spelt Flour Pizza Dough

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

Ingredients

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

Method:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water with the sugar (if using dry yeast, make sure it is activated according to the package instructions).
2. Add half of the spelt flour and mix well until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
3. Gradually incorporate the remaining flour, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. Knead everything until you obtain 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 risen, briefly knead the dough again and then roll it out to form the pizza base.
6. Preheat the oven to the highest temperature. Top your pizza with your preferred ingredients and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden and crispy.

Trivia

Spelt flour can absorb less liquid than wheat flour, so you may need to slightly adjust the amount of water. Additionally, spelt contains less gluten than modern wheat, so the dough 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.