Einkorn Pizza Dough
This whole wheat einkorn pizza dough makes a soft, flavorful crust with crisp edges and a tender chew. The dough starts out sticky, but a few stretch-and-folds help it come together into an easy-to-handle dough.
Servings: 2 pizza dough balls
Ingredients
- 3¾ cups whole wheat einkorn flour 450 grams (or all-purpose einkorn flour)
- 2¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast 7 grams or 1 packet
- 1½ teaspoons salt 8.5 grams
- 1¼ cups water warm; 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 ¼ 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 1½ 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
All-purpose einkorn adjustment: If you use all-purpose einkorn flour, start with 1 to 2 tablespoons less water. Add more only if the dough seems too dry.
Weigh the flour: A kitchen scale will give you the best results. Whole wheat einkorn weighs 96 grams per cup, and all-purpose einkorn weighs 120 grams per cup. If you do not have a scale, fluff the flour with a fork and lightly spoon it into the measuring cup.
Go easy on the dough: Einkorn does not need as much kneading as traditional wheat dough. Too much kneading can weaken its fragile gluten structure.
Expect a sticky dough: Einkorn dough is softer and stickier than standard pizza dough. Keep your hands oiled or dip them in water often to make it easier to handle.
Shape on parchment: Press or spread the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper, then slide the parchment onto your pizza stone or baking sheet. You can bake the pizza right on the parchment.
Adjust if needed: This is a fairly high-hydration dough. If it feels too difficult to work with, you can add up to 30 grams of flour without making it too dry.
Give it time to absorb: Einkorn absorbs liquid and fat slowly. If the dough seems too wet at first, let it rest before adding more flour.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 199mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g
