Chewy Spelt Flour Pizza Dough And Crust

If you are looking for a delicious pizza dough recipe made with whole grain flour, this Chewy Spelt Flour Pizza Dough and Crust is the only recipe you need. It is an overnight recipe, which gives it the chewy texture. I am taking the inspiration for this recipe from Peter Reinhardt's pizza book. He is a pioneer in the whole grain pizza-making world and has taught me so much. I have changed up the percentages of spelt flour for a higher whole grain percentage.

If you love pizza dough, let me share a few other recipes with you. The first is very similar to this recipe, but uses more white flour. It is also a whole wheat pizza dough with delicious texture. Next is my kamut sourdough pizza dough. Last is a new recipe for einkorn pizza dough that is thin and crispy!

More spelt flour recipes

• Spelt flour pound cake
• Spelt flour tortillas recipe
• Nutty spelt flour pasta dough
• Spelt flour carrot cake muffin recipe
• Chewy spelt flour oatmeal raisin cookies
• Spelt flour sandwich bread
• Crepes made with spelt flour
• Fluffy spelt flour pancakes
• Spelt berries porridge
• Fudgy spelt flour brownies
• Brown butter chocolate chip cookies with spelt flour
• Spelt flour pie crust
• Challah recipe made with spelt flour

Ingredients

• Spelt flour- I used a whole grain spelt flour as I mill my own. You can also use all-purpose, just know you may need to increase your flour by a few tablespoons. More on the difference below.
• 00 Flour- If you don't have this, use bread flour.
• Kosher salt- Salt is necessary for so many reasons in pizza making, I will discuss more about this below.
• Instant yeast- It doesn't take much. You can use active dry, but I have had much more success with instant yeast.
• Olive oil- this is used in the dough and for the stretching process

How to make

There are a few steps to this process, but I promise, they are all worth it. Start by mixing the dough in a stand mixer with the dough attachment or even paddle attachment (this can also be done by hand) for about 1 minute.

Cover and let the dough sit for 5 minutes to hydrate. Then, mix it again for another 60 seconds. The will be a sticky shaggy mess, don't stress.

Brush your work surface with enough olive oil to keep the dough from sticking. Turn the dough out onto the surface forming an oil slick. Stretch and fold the dough with a bowl scraper or bench knife.

Cover with a bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. Repeat the stretching process and cover for another 5 minutes. This process of stretching then resting should happen 4 times. With the 4th time, you will notice the dough is much more smooth.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and move it to the fridge for 24-72 hours. I have found my favorite sweet spot is about 30 hours, but test that yourself.

Baking the pizza in a baking pan

I am going to show you how to make the pizza how Peter Reinhardt does. This is very similar to a filled focaccia (which we had in Cinque Terre this past summer). It is a thick pizza, almost like a deep-dish, only better. It is bubbly with crispy edges that are so good!

Brush a little more olive oil on top of the dough. Dimple it and gently press it outward just a little. Cover the dough and leave it at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Uncover and dimple the dough again.

PRO TIP: this is a high hydration dough, dimpling is the easiest way to get the dough to cover the sheet pan.

By the 3rd or 4th dimpling, the dough will be ready to make in the pan. Next add in ½ pound of cubed mozzarella. Don't shred this, it is cubed. Then let it continue to rise for another 3-4 hours. It will rise around the mozzarella cubes.

Once it is risen and right before baking, top the pizza. It is important to make sure the oven is HOT before you start topping it. I like to bake the pizza at 485 degrees on convection.

I made this pizza a pepperoni, so start with the marinara, then the pepperoni (my son said it needed more), then the other ½ pound cubed mozzarella. You can add anything else you want to this, but I kept mine simple.

Once it is ready, move it to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then rotate for another 8-10.

Baking in a pizza oven

If you are planning on baking in a pizza oven, take the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into 3-4 pieces. Place it on an oiled baking sheet. Brush the top with olive oil as well, then cover it with plastic wrap and let it come to room temperature.

Gently stretch the dough on a floured surface. Top the pizza dough as you like. Then transfer the pizza to your oven with your peel. I cook my pizza at 750 degrees in my Ooni oven and it takes about 2-3 minutes.

Difference between all-purpose and whole grain spelt flour

1. Processing:
   • Whole Grain Spelt Flour: Made by grinding the entire spelt kernel, including the bran, germ, and endosperm.
   • All-Purpose or White Spelt Flour: Processed to remove the bran and germ, leaving only the endosperm.
2. Flavor and Texture:
   • Whole Grain Spelt Flour: Has a nuttier and more robust flavor due to the presence of the bran and germ. The texture is often denser and can be coarser.
   • All-Purpose or White Spelt Flour: With the removal of the bran and germ, this flour has a milder flavor and a finer, lighter texture.
3. Baking Characteristics:
   • Whole Grain Spelt Flour: Baked goods may be denser and have a heartier texture. Commonly used in recipes where a more robust flavor is desired.
   • All-Purpose or White Spelt Flour: Preferred in recipes where a lighter texture is desirable, such as in cakes, pastries, and some bread recipes.

What is spelt flour?

Spelt flour is a type of flour produced from the spelt grain. Spelt (Triticum spelta) is an ancient grain that belongs to the wheat family. It has been cultivated for thousands of years and is considered one of the oldest cultivated crops. Spelt is closely related to modern wheat but has some distinct characteristics.

The origin of spelt can be traced back to ancient civilizations in Europe and the Middle East. It was a common grain in many parts of Europe during the medieval period. While spelt fell out of widespread cultivation in favor of other wheat varieties, it has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years, particularly in the context of alternative and ancient grains.

Spelt flour is produced by milling the spelt grain into a fine powder. The flour can be further processed into different varieties, such as whole grain spelt flour, which includes the bran, germ, and endosperm, or all-purpose (white) spelt flour, where the bran and germ are removed, leaving only the endosperm.

Another recipe similar to this one is my homemade no-knead ciabatta recipe. It is an overnight dough as well, that is certainly worth the effort!

• Dinner
• Yeasted Breads
• Baked
• Spelt Flour