By Rebecca Bent
My parents were visiting this weekend and I wanted to surprise them with homemade pizza; however, I had to prepare something healthy. (My dad always complains that when he leaves my house he’s gained 10 pounds.)
Thankfully, a few months ago, I tried my first Einkorn pizza and loved it. According to www.einkorn.com, it was eaten “thousands of years ago…and has been found to be a more nutritious grain.” So I asked my friend Cheryl for her recipe. Lucky for me—through her company Everyday Dishes—she has truly perfected einkorn pizza dough. As far as toppings, we just used mozzarella and a sprinkle of parmesan. If you add veggies, make sure to add them just a few minutes before the pizza crust is done. Cooking so the vegetables are a little al dente. Also, if you like stuffed cheesy crust, see my note below.
Everyday Dishes’
Einkorn Pizza Dough
5 cups (22.5 oz.) All purpose Einkorn flour (traditional all purpose flour recipe)
2 teaspoons salt
1½ cups warm water
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
Cornmeal
Pizza Toppings
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, finely grated
2 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Whatever toppings you enjoy
Combine the einkorn flour and salt in a large bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
Dissolve the yeast in a measuring cup of warm water. Add the liquid and olive oil to the flour. Stir together until combined, then knead briefly until smooth. Be patient—it may take longer than you expect to absorb the liquid. Cover the bowl and let rise for 40 minutes.
Cut dough into six equal-sized pieces and form into balls. Place each ball into a small bowl and cover each ball loosely with plastic wrap (it will swell in size). Refrigerate at least two hours or up to three days.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a pizza stone on a rack in the middle of the oven and allow to heat. Sprinkle a rimless baking sheet with cornmeal.
Roll out or hand form a ball of dough into a 12-inch circle. Using your fingertips, dimple little depressions all over the crust, which will make the finished crust lighter and crispier. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cover the crust with the desired topping. When you top this crust, use only enough sauce to reveal a portion of the dough. Be careful not to use too much or your crust will get soggy. Shake the pizza to make sure it isn’t stuck to the cookie sheet and then slide it off the baking sheet onto the hot pizza stone.
Bake for eight to nine minutes or until done. Slide the rimless baking sheet under the pizza to remove it from the oven.
This recipe came directly from www.everydaydishes.com/einkorn-recipes/einkorn-pizza-dough-video.
To create stuffed cheesy crust: when the pizza has been rolled out, place long slivers of mozzarella cheese (2 inch by ¼ inch) on the edge of the pizza dough. Roll the dough over the cheese and pinch the dough so it stays closed (and stuffed inside). Top the pizza as instructed above. You can use more cheese, but be careful the crust doesn’t get too big—you want everything to cook evenly.
