Pizza Dough with Spelt Flour

Here are the ingredients for this pizza dough made from scratch:

Spelt flour: Spelt gives this pizza dough a deliciously nutty, slightly sweet flavor and a tender texture. Spelt contains less gluten-forming protein than bread flour, so I like to combine it with bread flour for a dough that has enough structure to stretch and hold its shape.

Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which gives the dough more gluten strength and elasticity. That extra strength is especially helpful when baking with spelt flour, resulting in a crust that is sturdy enough to hold your favorite toppings while still being tender and chewy. (If you don’t have bread flour, you can substitute all-purpose flour.)

Poolish: Poolish is a simple mixture of flour, water, and a small amount of yeast that ferments before being added to the dough. It gives the pizza crust more flavor and helps create a light, airy texture with a chewy bite.

Instant yeast: Instant yeast provides the leavening that allows the dough to rise. It can be mixed directly into the flour without being dissolved in water first. Because this recipe uses a poolish as well as additional yeast in the dough, you get the benefits of a longer fermentation without having to wait days for the dough to develop its flavor.

Olive oil: A little olive oil adds flavor and helps create a tender, pleasantly crisp crust. It also makes the dough easier to handle and helps prevent it from drying out during fermentation.

Honey: A small amount of honey adds a subtle touch of sweetness and helps the crust develop beautiful browning in the oven.

Sea salt: Salt enhances the flavor of the dough and also helps regulate yeast activity. I like to use fine sea salt for this recipe, because it distributes evenly throughout the dough.

Equipment Needed

Here’s what you’ll need to make this spelt pizza dough:

• Two mixing bowls
• A clean work surface or cutting board for kneading
• A stand mixer with a dough hook (optional)

To make a pizza from the dough, you’ll need:

• Pizza pan or pizza stone
• Pizza cutter or sharp knife

Step by Step Instructions

Make the Poolish

In a medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, water, and instant yeast until every bit of dry flour is absorbed and you have a thick, sticky batter.

Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. When it’s ready, the poolish will be full of bubbles and roughly doubled in volume. (This slow fermentation is what builds flavor in the final crust.)

Mix the Pizza Dough

STEP ONE: In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, spelt flour, hot water, salt, and instant yeast.

(Pro Tip: I recommend weighing the flour and using the gram measurements for best results. If you don’t have a scale, spoon the flour in the measuring cup lightly and even the top with a knife before adding to the bowl.)

STEP TWO: Stir just until the ingredients come together into a shaggy, rough dough, and don’t worry about smoothing it out yet.

STEP THREE: Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes; this brief rest (called an autolyse) lets the flour fully hydrate, which makes the dough easier to work with later. Add the olive oil, honey, and your fermented poolish to the bowl.

STEP FOUR: Mix everything together, then knead by hand right in the bowl for about 2 minutes to bring the dough together. Cover and let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Build Structure By Kneading

STEP FIVE: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes, until it feels smooth and elastic under your hands (a stand mixer with a dough hook works well here, too). Cover and rest for 20-30 minutes.

STEP SIX: Knead the dough again for 5 more minutes, then cover and rest for another 20 minutes. These repeated short kneading-and-resting cycles develop the dough’s gluten gradually, giving the crust better structure without overworking it in one long knead.

Portion and Shape

STEP SEVEN: Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. You can use a dough scraper, or simply cut it with a sharp kitchen knife like I did.

STEP EIGHT: Shape each piece into a smooth, taut ball, cover, and let rest for 20 minutes. This final rest relaxes the gluten so the dough will stretch easily when you shape your pizzas.

How to Shape and Bake a Pizza

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Use your hands to shape one ball of pizza dough on a pizza pan. (You can also use a baking sheet or pizza stone.) We like thin crust pizza so I press it quite thin, but you can make yours thicker if you like.
3. Spread with your favorite pizza sauce on top of the dough. (I always make this easy homemade pizza sauce with tomato paste.)
4. Add your favorite pizza toppings and cheese. (For ideas, check out this roundup of 75+ best toppings for homemade pizza.)
5. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 9 to 11 minutes. (Your baking time may vary, depending on the thickness of the crust.)
6. Cool, cut and enjoy!

How to Store Uncooked Pizza Dough

Storing Uncooked Pizza Dough in the Fridge

If you’re not ready to bake the dough right away, place the dough balls in lightly oiled, airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1–2 hours before baking so it can relax and become easier to stretch.

How to Freeze Pizza Dough

For longer storage, freeze the dough after it has finished its initial rise and has been divided into individual portions. Lightly coat each dough ball with olive oil, place it in a freezer-safe airtight container or zip-top freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze the dough balls individually so you can thaw only what you need.

How to Thaw Frozen Pizza Dough

Transfer the frozen dough to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. The next day, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours before shaping. The dough should be soft, relaxed, and easy to stretch when it’s ready to use.