Friday, April 3, 2015

Spelt Pizza – Read All About It

I could go into detail about all the great reasons you should maybe consider including some organic sprouted spelt flour in your pantry, but since I’m just about to head out for a little Easter break, it would be a lot easier for me if you could just Google it. 

Very briefly, this “ancient grain” is related to modern wheat, but it’s actually an entirely different species. From what I hear, it's easier to digest, higher in protein and fiber, and to me at least, has a much better flavor and texture than other whole-wheat flours.

Besides the simple and effective dough recipe, I’m also showing off a cast-iron pan technique that does a heck of a job getting the same type of browned, crispy crust you enjoy at your favorite pizzeria. Just keep it on the flame until the bottom starts to brown, and then finish in a hot oven, and/or under a broiler until your toppings are done.  

If you make it ahead, simply take it out of the fridge a few hours before you want pizza, and let it warm up on the counter. It actually gets an even better texture. I hope you give this delicious alternative a try soon. Enjoy!


Makes 4 eight-inch pizzas:
1 package dry active yeast
2 teaspoons honey
1 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
about 3 cups organic sprouted spelt flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
toppings of your choice

10 comments:

Danbs1217 said...

Ha....now my Easter quest is finding spelt flour before things close down.. Easter pizza lunch is perfect. Thanks for the video!

Unknown said...

I wonder what the net carb comparison is between spelt flour and white flour.

Rita said...

i'm glad i'm not the only one who makes pizza on an iron-cast skillet. i don't pre-cook my pizza, though.

while the oven's off, i put the skillet in, then turn it on to 400°F. while the oven's pre-warming, that's when i prep my pizza. when the oven/skillet is ready - i place my pizza on the skillet. yes, i get the crispy pizza crust.

Marina Collings Whiting said...

Chef John! This is brilliant. First non-soggy pizza ever!
Also, we used your pizza sauce recipe. So good, no runny center like I got trying to use non-cooked sauce. It was a little bit chunky for my taste, but I can just smush the tomatoes smaller next time.
Do you have a trick for keeping your Mozzarella nice and not gummy or rubbery?

Anonymous said...

This looks fantastic! Just a couple of questions though.

1) I have an electric stove, can I still use this cast iron method, or will it not work without the quick heating of the gas? (I have a ceramic--NOT induction--cooktop.)

2) Are there any inexpensive substitutes for white flour? Because my food wish would be a substitute that is the same price as typical white flour. Because I'll be honest--$30 for a 5lb bag of spelt might as well be on Mars it's so far out of my budget.

Danbs1217 said...

You are what you eat. Made the dough last night and pizza tonight. Next time adding herbs, cheese and garlic to the crust like we typically do with white trash flour crust. Nice change and invested in 5 lbs of sprouted spelt flour so going to enjoy pizzas with the skillet technique a lot. Thanks, Chef John.

wuer said...

Hi, just wanted to let you know that wikipedia says that spelt still "...contains a moderate amount of gluten, it is suitable for some baking but that also makes it not suitable for people with coeliac disease." In other words, it still isn't suitable for people who cannot eat gluten.

אודי said...

For me, It didn't work out with 100% spelt flour, the dough turned out very fragile, grainy kind of texture - couldn't work with it at all. After adding 50% wheat flour it formed much better dough to handle.

Unknown said...

This looks amazing...and really makes me hungry. Thanks so much for the recipe - I'm sure to try it sometime!

Dan Hughes said...

I'm sure glad you spelt it right.