I love pizza, my kids love pizza, and my husband loves pizza. I don’t want to make a different dough for everyone, so this recipe is the perfect alternative to my Vegan Pizza Dough as it’s healthy enough for me, vegan for Damien, and it makes perfect pizzas for the kids.
Why Spelt Flour In Pizza Dough?
Nutrition-wise, spelt is a great choice to add vitamins, minerals, fiber to the body. It’s also more water-soluble and lower in gluten than wheat, and therefore, it’s easier to digest.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Spelt and wheat flour are very similar, and usually, you can swap one flour for the other in any baking recipe. But since spelt flour contains a bit more fiber and protein, it also makes dough tougher. As a result, spelt flour absorbs water more than all-purpose wheat flour. So to make a soft, stretchy spelt pizza dough, it’s important to add a bit more liquid to the dough to achieve the right pizza crust texture or a bit less flour.
Spelt Flour – You need about 4 cups of spelt flour for this recipe, including some extra to roll the dough. Don’t use whole spelt flour, or the dough will be way too dry. You must use white spelt flour for this pizza dough recipe. You can use this recipe using all-purpose flour, but you may need to decrease the water slightly. Salt and Garlic powder – for flavor. Lukewarm Water – think bath temperature about 37°C (98°F). Instant Dried Yeast – This gives the dough it’s light and fluffy texture before baking, making it soft when baked. Olive Oil – You need some fat in the dough, so might as well use a healthy and tasty option.
How To Make Spelt Pizza Dough
Storing Pizza Dough
You can store the pizza dough in the fridge after its second kneading time. Place the dough in an oiled airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When needed, add more flour to knead and roll the dough into a pizza base
Freezing Pizza Dough
To freeze pizza dough, knead the dough 2 minutes after its first rise. Then, divide the pizza dough into 4 dough balls and freeze each ball individually in airtight containers wrapped in plastic wraps. Thaw pizza dough the day before at room temperature.
Freezing Pre-Cooked Pizza Base
You can also pre-bake rolled pizza bases and use the frozen pizza base directly to make pizza. You don’t need to thaw prebaked frozen pizza bases. To pre-bake your pizza base, bake on a pizza pan for 10 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
Pizza Dough Troubleshooting
Pizza dough is not difficult to prepare, but there are always challenges when it comes to baking, so below, I listed some tips and tricks to troubleshoot your dough.
Too wet – add more flour one tablespoon at a time, knead well between each addition to incorporate, and give time to the gluten from flour to incorporate. Too dry – add more lukewarm water, not cold! Always add one teaspoon at a time to avoid a sticky dough. It didn’t double in size – that’s not a big deal. The dough just needs warmth, so preheat the oven to about 110°F (45°C). Place the bowl with the dough in the oven until it rises.
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