Einkorn Pizza Dough

This Einkorn pizza dough makes a soft and tender pizza crust that has a deliciously rich flavor. The gluten in einkorn is easier to digest and has a better nutritional profile than regular wheat. It is packed with all the goodness of whole grain and the additional flavor and nutrition that Einkorn is known for.

You can use whole wheat or all-purpose einkorn flour for this recipe. You may need to use a tad less water when you use the all-purpose flour.

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Additional Time: 4

Total Time: 4 40

Servings: pizza dough balls

Calories: 143kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

4-½ cups whole grain einkorn flour 432 grams (or 432 grams of all-purpose einkorn flour)
1 packet instant dry yeast 2-¼ teaspoons (7 grams)
1-½ teaspoons salt 8.5 grams
1-¼ cups warm water 295 grams, see notes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 39 grams
1 tablespoon honey 21 grams

Instructions

Add the Einkorn flour, instant yeast and salt to a large bowl. Stir in the water, olive oil, and honey until well combined. The dough will be wet and sticky.
Let the dough sit for 5 minutes to give it a chance to absorb moisture. (Einkorn flour needs extra time to absorb liquid.)
Dip your hands in water or grease them with oil to stretch and fold the dough several times. Keep the dough in the bowl and stretch it up then fold it in half. Turn the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Continue pulling the dough up and over itself 4 to 6 more times then let it rest for 5 minutes. Repeat the same stretch and fold process three more times every 5 to 10 minutes.
The dough will get firmer and easier to handle with each stretch and fold interval. It will still have a sticky texture but if you keep your hands wet, it won't stick to them.
Coat the ball of dough with oil and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for 1-½ to 2 hours.
Divide in half with an oiled bench scraper. Use wet or oiled hands to form two balls of dough. Coat each ball with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let them rise for 1 to 2 hours

To store the pizza dough

At this point, you have two options: you can either store it in the fridge (or freezer), or you can proceed with baking.
To store the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in ziplock bags. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use it, thaw the frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, remove it from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before using it to make pizza.

To shape pizzas

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Sprinkle some flour on a sheet of parchment paper and press the dough into a flat circle. If the dough is too sticky, dip your hands in water so it doesn't stick to them.
Add your toppings and use the parchment paper to slide the pizza onto your baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Notes

If you use all-purpose einkorn flour, start with 1 to 2 tablespoons less water. You can add additional water if it seems too dry.
You will have best results if you use a scale to weigh your flour. Whole wheat einkorn weighs 96 grams per cup and all-purpose einkorn weighs 120 grams per cup. If you don't have a scale, fluff the flour with a fork and lightly spoon it into the measuring cup.
It is not necessary to knead einkorn bread as much as traditional bread. If you knead it too much, you will break down the fragile gluten structure.
Dough made with einkorn flour tends to be stickier compared to standard pizza dough. It will be easier to handle if you keep your hands oiled or dip them in water frequently (wet hands won't stick to the dough).
When you are ready to shape it, spread the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper, then slide the parchment paper onto your pizza stone or baking sheet. The parchment paper will make it easy to transfer, and you can bake the pizza right on the paper.
This recipe is a fairly high-hydration dough (68% hydration). If you find it is just too difficult to work with, then you can add up to 30 grams of flour without making the pizza dough too dry.
Einkorn flour absorbs fat and liquid slowly. If the dough seems too wet initially, give it some time to rest before adding more flour.

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