Spelt Pizza Dough

I can make this pizza dough in my sleep

We used to have pizza nights every now and then, which were always pretty special occasions, but then it somehow evolved into a weekly pizza night, which is when I started making spelt flour pizza dough. I figured if we were going to be making pizza that regularly, I may as well sneak some whole grains into my family (I am a nutritionist, after all).

Trust me when I say that pizza is sacred to me, and I wouldn't be trying to pawn some sawdust-stuffed hippy food pizza crust off on you unless it was really really good. 

If you're intimidated by handling yeast doughs, don't be. I'll talk you through it step by step below; we're in this together! If you're really just looking for something quick and easy and can't be bothered making the dough, I feel you. Try my quick and easy Naan Pizza instead!

Step 1: mix

Combine lukewarm water, yeast, and honey in a large bowl. Let it stand for about 10 minutes, until the top of the water is foamy. Note - I'm using fresh yeast in these photos, which doesn't get as foamy looking as active dried or instant yeast. 

Add the spelt flour, all-purpose flour, salt, herbs, and olive oil to the bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon, or using the dough hook of your stand mixer. 

Step 2: knead

Knead your dough. You can either do this by hand, or with a stand mixer if you have one. Once the flour is all mixed into the dough, watch it to see if you need to add a bit more flour. 

If you're kneading by hand, my rule is that if I can keep it moving on the counter top without it sticking to the counter or my hands, it doesn't need more flour. If it's sticking while moving, then add more flour, bit by bit. 

If you're kneading in a stand mixer, if the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl while the mixer is running, you need to add more flour, bit by bit. 

Note! It's important to only add extra flour if the dough is sticking while it's moving. It will always stick to the bowl, counter top, or hands, if you stop moving and let it stand still, but you should get to a point where it becomes smooth enough that it does not stick while on the move. That's when your dough is done. 

Avoid adding too much extra flour as this will yield a tougher dough. 

Step 3: rise

Pour a bit of oil into a large bowl, and put the ball of dough in there. Roll the dough around in the oil so it's well coated. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or a glass lid, and let rise until the dough has doubled in size - about 30 minutes.

Once the dough has doubled, punch it down! I usually get my kids to do this and make them yell, "Give me my money! Give me my money!" while they're punching the dough. 

Stir in the diced pepper and zucchini. Sauté for 3-5 minutes more, or until the vegetables are heated through. Add the corn, stir in the salt and spices, and remove the pan from the heat.

If you have an Instant Pot, I LOVE proofing my dough using the yogurt setting. It keeps the dough the perfect temperature, and rises in about half the time. 

Step 4: divide

Divide the dough into three equal sized balls for three thin-crust pizzas. Place a damp kitchen towel over the dough that you're not working with. 

Step 5: roll

Use a wooden rolling pin to roll your dough to the desired thinness. I usually go quite thin, like around ¼-1/2 inch thick. 

At this point you can either press the dough into a baking pan (grease well, or scatter with cornmeal to prevent sticking) or transfer to a pizza peel if you're using a baking steel or pizza stone. 

Tip! Regardless of what method I'm using to cook my dough, I like to cook it bare naked (no toppings) for a few minutes. If you're baking your pizza in a pan this will give you a crispier bottom. If you're using a peel, it will make it way easier to slide the pizza in and out of the oven once the toppings are on.

Step 6: add your toppings

Now add your favourite toppings, and bake! I love using these Semi-Dried Tomatoes on my pizza, a really good pizza sauce (I sometimes use this Instant Pot Pasta Sauce as the base) and fresh basil. Yum yum. 

How to batch cook your pizza bases

Every few weeks, I whip up a double or triple batch of my spelt pizza dough when I've got a quiet house. Then I roll them out, fire them into the oven, and cook each bottom for just a few minutes. I pull them out, cool on a wire rack, and then freeze a stack of par-cooked pizza bases. 

That way when pizza night rolls around I can relax, let whoever wants to make the pizza be in charge, and I don't have to worry about flour and dough being all over the place at the end of the night. It's like buying a store-bought pizza base, but homemade, wholegrain, and delicious. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of flour is best for making pizza? Purists will swear by the tipo 00 flour for making pizza, but I think when you're making wholegrain pizza crusts it's not worth mixing it in. I prefer to use a high-gluten bread flour when I'm mixing it 50/50 with wholegrain flour, because I think it gives the crust a better structure overall. 

Can I use 100% spelt flour? I have tested various combinations, and I think that for taste, texture, and health, you get the best bang for your buck when you use 50% spelt flour and 50% all-purpose. You can of course play around with this yourself and figure out what ratio works best for your personal tastes. 

Can I use a different kind of wholegrain flour? I have tried this recipe with spelt, whole wheat, and wholegrain rye flour with good results. You can also make this recipe with 100% all-purpose flour if you prefer. 

Can you freeze pizza dough? You sure can! Although I personally prefer to freeze par-cooked pizza bottoms for ease of use, you can totally freeze dough to use in the future as well. After the dough rises, punch it down and divide into balls. Wrap each ball tightly in plastic wrap, and then pop the dough balls into a freezer bag. When you're ready to use, let the pizza dough thaw on the counter and allow it to rise again before rolling it out.