Since I'm making the spelt crust now I thought I would put up the cheeseless pizza recipe:
This crust is made 24h in advance as it rises overnight in the fridge. I quadruple the recipe and freeze the other 3 batches so I have quick lunch or dinner. Each batch makes about 2 medium pizzas!
Spelt Crust:
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt (less if using regular salt)
1 tablespoon pure olive oil
3/4 cup warm water
+/- 2 cups spelt flour (or any flour really - works most authentically with white bread machine flour)
1 teaspoon instant yeast
Place everything into a standing mixer's work bowl. Using the paddle attachment, start the mixer on low and mix until the dough just comes together, forming a ball. Lube the hook attachment with cooking spray. Attach the hook to the mixer and knead for 15 minutes on medium speed.
That's how you make the recipe if you have a stand mixer - really quick! BUT if you're like me you don't and have to do all the kneading by hand - which is a bit time-intensive, but the results as good! I mix all the ingredients together and knead the dough for about 1/2 hour to get it to a good consistency. You know it's ready if you tear off a small piece and stretch/pull it out and you can see light through it (bakers windowpane) without ripping. If it tears easily - more kneading required!
Roll the pizza dough into a smooth ball on the countertop. Place into a stainless steel or glass bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours. That's it! The next day take the dough out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to use it. Divide the dough ball into 2 halves, knead each half a little then roll into a ball and let rest on the counter under a tea towel for about an hour. The longer it rests, the easier it will be to roll out - I usually leave it for 1.5h. At this point I also freeze the other pizza portions so I can just thaw them in the fridge the morning I plan to use them, or on the counter an hour before.
Phew! Am I making this recipe too long??
We're at the baking part at least! I have a pizza stone (best purchase ever) so I just put my oven to 500 degrees (260C) roll/stretch the dough out (make sure the paddle has lots of flour if you're using one), put toppings and bake until done. Not sure how long it takes - I just check the bottom of the pizza when I think it's close. Less than 10 minutes though!
Bun's favourite toppings are: pesto, shredded chicken, artichokes, spinach. The spinach kind of wilts and holds the toppings together while eating so I always use it. Other DF toppings for pizza are:
Any and all vegetables - I will sometimes pre-cook veg like broccoli to make it less chunky, but Bun won't eat broccoli otherwise
Any and all meats
Pesto (I make it with a mix of spinach and basil, or try different herbs)
Pizza Sauce or Salsa
"Cashew" Ricotta
Pine Nuts
Beans
Note: Too much sauce will make the dough a bit gooey on top. Also - kids LOVE making their own pizzas. I often have friends/family over for MYO pizza - YUM! And ofcourse you can just bypass all the hard work and buy your crust
Will post more recipes! xx