Spelt Flour Pizza Dough

I am writing this recipe up as a separate post so that when I refer to it in other recipes it can quickly be referenced.  I have also made pizza dough using regular organic whole wheat flour, as this dough can be a little more delicate.  But I like to vary the types of grains I serve my family so this is a nice alternative to a regular wheat dough.  Very versatile, it can be used to make a traditional pizza, pizza rolls or even sweet cinnamon rolls as a breakfast treat!


Spelt Flour Pizza Dough

dough before rising

2 1/2 C. whole grain spelt flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 C. warm water

1 T. pure maple syrup

1 packet quick rising yeast

3 T. olive oil, organic canola oil or melted organic butter

after an hour rising

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a larger bowl, add the warm water and maple syrup and dissolve the yeast packet until bubbles start to form.  Add in the flour mixture and stir to combine.  Pour in the oil or butter and mix well.  Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary.  Return the dough back to the mixing bowl and cover with a damp towel for about an hour.  Once it has risen, punch down the dough and then knead it again for a minute. You can now either use it in a recipe or put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to work with it. If placing the dough in the fridge, make sure to put it in a sealed bag with room to expand as it will continue to rise a little.

Maple Sugar Cinnamon Rolls

Maple Sugar Cinnamon Rolls

One of my favorite smells in the whole world is the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Unfortunately cinnamon rolls have gotten a bad rap because of the way that most of them are made with loads of butter, artificial flavorings and white flour and sugar.  This recipe is different, and in my opinion tastes even better.  I have made many versions of these in the past, but after having a slightly not so perfect experiment using spelt flour in a previous recipe, I thought why not try to make a nice yeast based dough using spelt flour?  I had originally planned on just making a bread of some sort (and will try that soon) but I happened to be watching an episode of The Chew the other day and Mario Batali was using his own pizza recipe to make cinnamon rolls.  I wanted some so badly.

I knew that today was going to be a snow day and that my whole family would hopefully be sleeping in and I love taking advantage of lazy mornings like that by baking something warm for breakfast.  But I knew making dough and waiting for it to rise would never fly with four hungry mouths to feed.  So I decided to make the dough the night before.  I figured if you can buy pizza dough from a pizzeria, or even fresh dough from your local grocery store, then it must work to refrigerate your own overnight.  I was right.  I made the dough after dinner last night, let it rise for an hour and then put it in the fridge until this morning.  That way I had fresh cinnamon rolls in less than 30 minutes.

In order to make these fit with my healthy lifestyle, I of course used whole grain (spelt) flour.  You could of course use regular whole wheat flour as well, but the spelt worked nicely and I am glad that I tried it.  Instead of loading the filling up with tons of butter, I used half almond butter (thought about using all almond butter and probably will another time as the flavor and texture were amazing).  I also chose to use pure granulated maple sugar, since maple sugar has such a rich, potent flavor while also being high in nutrients and lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar. Granulated maple sugar can be hard to find and a bit pricey (I bought my small bottle that I almost used up today at a large country fair back in the fall), but it is definitely worth the search and investment.  You could also use plain brown sugar as I mentioned in the recipe or perhaps even raw coconut sugar crystals.  I didn't feel the need to add any maple syrup onto my cinnamon rolls once they were cooked, but I did for my kids and my husband.  I am not sure if it was the fact that after having to wait for them to bake my family was completely ravenous or because the cinnamon rolls tasted as amazing as they smelled, but the whole pan was gone within minutes.  Even my usually picky daughter gobbled up a whole one in record time. Maybe next time I will have to make a double batch!!

Whole Grain Pizza Dough

pizzas made with love for my kids

I used to think that making my own pizza required spending a couple of hours in the kitchen watching dough rise, or giving in and using store bought dough, but this recipe changes all that.  By using quick rising instant yeast and organic whole wheat flour, you can now make a delicious and nutritious pizza in about 40 minutes, start to finish.  Of course the nutrition content all depends on what you top your pizza with, but that is the fun part about making your own: you can use whatever you like and whatever you happen to have on hand.  And it is a great dinner for kids to help out with.  My daughter is much more likely to eat a pizza that she helped create and you can make them in all sorts of shapes and sizes.  I have even experimented with sweet toppings like fruit and ricotta cheese with a drizzle of honey.  The possibilities are endless!!