Thin, crispy but still soft enough to be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. This spelt flour (dinkelmehl) crust pizza is much easier on your tummy and provides you with more nutrients as compared to refined wheat flour pizza. So, you can grab that extra piece without much thought.

Why spelt flour?

My elder one always had an upset stomach after having pizza. It used to be an occasional treat but watching him in pain the next day, ruined all the fun.

In a quest to find out better alternatives for making pizza crust at home, I read about spelt flour (known as Dinkelmehl in German) . It is an ancient grain from the same family as wheat, rye and barley. The high soluble fibre content in whole grain spelt flour facilitates digestion, and is much easier on the stomach. People who have sensitivity for wheat can digest spelt much more easily. Compared to wheat flour, spelt flour is also richer in many nutrients, such as protein and minerals.

How does spelt flour taste?

Although spelt has a nuttier taste, it would not bother you when having it in a pizza form.Keep the crust thin and you will hardly be able to tell the difference. I actually liked it more than whole wheat pizza crust. It gets crispy but still remain soft and crumbly. It does not get hard like whole wheat flour sometimes does when rolled too thin.

From where to buy spelt flour?

In Germany you can find whole grain spelt flour at Aldi, Rewe, DM, Edeka in the flour aisle, by the name Dinkelmehl-Vollkorn. You can also find spelt flour at health stores. Organic whole grain spelt (bio Dinkelmehl vollkorn) will be the healthiest choice.

Spelt Flour Crust Pizza (Dinkelmehl Pizza)

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Proofing Time 1

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

For the crust

4 cups + ½ cup for rolling whole grain spelt flour (Dinkelmehl-Vollkorn)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp active dry yeast (Backhefe trocken)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 ½ cups lukewarm water (not too hot)

For the toppings

1 ½ cup tomato puree
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dried italian herbs
½ tsp garlic powder (optional)
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated gouda cheese
2 cup diced paprika (mixed color)
½ cup sweet corn kernels
1 diced red onion
any other vegetables of choice

Instructions

Take your lukewarm water in a big bowl. Add the sugar, salt, olive oil and active dry yeast into the water and mix lightly. Add this mixture to your spelt flour. Mix with a spatula, then knead with hands for 3-4 minutes. If it sticks to hands, grease them with olive oil.
After kneading, coat the dough lightly all over with some olive oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and place at a dark and warm place for 1 hour to rise. (Switched off oven is ideal for keeping the dough to proof)
After an hour, take the dough out and transfer it onto a flat surface. Knock the air out of the dough with light kneading.
Set to oven to preheat at 200° Celcius.
Cover your fingers with some dry flour and take a small amount of dough (for a mini pizza). Form into a neat and round ball. Add some extra dry flour if it is too sticky.
Roll into ½ cm thick pizza crusts. Transfer to a lined baking sheet. You can put several pizza bases on a single sheet. Just take care that they do not overlap each other. Set aside.
In a bowl add the tomato puree. Add salt, dried italian herbs and garlic powder to the tomato puree and mix well.
In another bowl, mix the shredded mozzarella and shredded gouda together.
Add a thin layer of tomato puree mixture onto each pizza base. Cover with a layer of cheese. Finally, top with the vegetables of your choice.
Bake on the middle rack on 200° Celsius for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese just starts to change color.
Take out and rest a few minutes before digging in.