Easy As Pie Spelt Pizza Dough

Hey hey hey! Sorry for neglecting to publish a beverage recipe this weekend. In lieu of that, allow me to present to you my perfect pizza dough. It is neither too thick nor too thin, and it bakes up with a crispy edge and perfectly soft interior without being too doughy. Also, this recipe is a harbinger of things to come on Tuesday (ahem vegan meatball pizza). Just thought I’d put that out there. 😉

This is my go-to dough whenever I am craving pizza (which is often, heh heh). If you’ve never tried to make your own pizza dough, I encourage you– no, I implore you– to give it a try. Contrary to what you may have been told, you don’t need to be a pro in order to make a delicious, authentic-tasting pizza crust. If you know how to mix and knead, homemade pizza dough is a cinch. All you need is about 15 minutes of active time and an hour of risng time, and all your homemade pizza dreams will come true.

I love using light spelt flour in this recipe. It’s more like all-purpose flour in texture, and it brings a wonderful elasticity to the dough. I used to make pizza dough with whole spelt flour, and the result was always a dense, crumbly crust. If you only have whole spelt flour on hand, I would recommend using a 50/50 mix of whole spelt and regular all-purpose flours in order to achieve the right texture.

Let’s make pizza dough!

Step 1: Combine active dry yeast, warm water, maple syrup, and olive oil. Proof for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together flour and salt.

Step 2: Make a well in the flour and pour in the proofed yeast mixture. Stir together to create a shaggy dough.

Step 3: Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed to create an elastic dough.

Step 4: Place in a greased bowl, cover with a dish towel, and place in a warm area to rise for 1 hour.

Step 5: Once it has doubled in size, punch down dough, knead a few times, and divide into 2 equal balls.

Step 6: Press the dough into a rough circle.

Step 7: Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large circle, about 10 inches in diameter and ¼ of an inch thick.

Step 8: Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper and proceed with your pizza recipe!

Easy Spelt Pizza Dough

Every kitchen needs a pizza dough recipe. This one is made with light spelt flour, giving it a light, airy texture and authentic flavour.

1 cup hot water (110 degrees F)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (1)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (not instant)
3 cups light/white spelt flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Combine hot water, maple syrup, and olive oil in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in yeast. I find that the yeast usually sinks to the bottom naturally before it starts rising, so I don’t find whisking necessary. Cover and wait for 10 minutes, or until the yeast activates and creates a foamy/frothy layer on the top of the mixture. If nothing happens, this means that your water was either too hot or too cold and the yeast has not activated; in this case, dump it out and start over.
Meanwhile, mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir to combine.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding additional flour as needed, for about 5 minutes, until you have a smooth, elastic dough that doesn’t stick to your fingers.
Lightly grease a clean bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover with a kitchen towel and put it into the warmest area of your kitchen to rise for an hour, or until doubled in bulk.
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead a couple of times and divide in half.
Take one ball of dough and press it into a rough circle. Using a rolling pin, roll it out into a circle about 10 inches in diameter and ¼ of an inch thick. If you desire a thinner crust, go for ⅛ of an inch diameter.
Transfer the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper that will fit whatever pan you will be baking your pizza in, and repeat steps 5-7 with the second ball of dough, Proceed with your pizza recipe.

If you make this pizza dough, post a photo and tag it with #holisticallie and @holisticallie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!