Sunday night is usually pizza night, we like routine. Pizza washed down with a glass of wine (or two) is a ritual end to the weekend. If we have been away for the weekend we do get the occasional delivery, but will often make our own. Pizza dough is easy to make, and making your own is far more frugal than a delivery. Also, you can pick the exact toppings you want and arrange them to accommodate all tastes and preferences (anchovies and capers are both more essential to my life than they are to others).
I have only recently realised that there are two types of dried yeast, some need to be activated in water before adding to the flour. Check the packet to see which you have.
I added spelt porridge flakes to the dough for some extra texture. Feel free to leave out.
- 30 g Spelt Porridge flakes soaked in 30g of water for about an hour
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 200 ml warm water
- 150 g whole grain spelt flour
- 150 g white bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbs oil – olive / rapeseed / hemp etc.
- Polenta & your choice of pizza toppings.
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Pour the water into bowl, add the yeast and swirl until it is dissolved, leave for 5 mins if needed to activate it. Add the other ingredients.
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Knead with the dough hook attachment of your mixer on the lowest speed for about 4 minutes until a smooth stretchy dough has formed (if you knead by hand it will take longer).
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Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for a few hours. It should more than double in size.
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Turn out onto a floured board of worktop and gently knock the dough back. Divide the dough into 3.
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Gently shape each quantity of dough into a pizza shapes on a baking tray or pizza stone liberally sprinkled with polenta to stop sticking.
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Spread with tomato sauce (I used my high fibre tomato and lentil sauce), arrange your toppings and sprinkle with cheese.
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Bake in a very hot oven (GM7 / 220c / 425F) for about 12 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the pizza is golden around the edges.
Beware how much hotter it will be than delivered pizza, I burned the roof of my mouth horribly the last time I made homemade pizza!
I have been baking with spelt for some years now, and usually use British grown spelt from Sharpham Park in Somerset. Spelt is naturally high in fibre and for this year’s National Bowel Cancer Awareness Month Sharpham Park have partnered with Bowel Cancer UK to launch Great British Spelt Recipes a collection of delicious high fibre dishes.
Diet has been identified as one of the most important factors in the development of bowel cancer, and a diet high in fibre is one of the most important ways of ensuring bowel health. Research from the British Medical Journal shows that consuming 3 servings (90g) of wholegrains a day results in a reduction in risk of bowel cancer of about 20%.
As well as flour Sharpham Park produce a collection of delicious spelt cereals, porridges and pearled spelt, and I’ll be blogging some more high fibre spelt recipes this month.
I am sending my higher fibre pizza to Javelin Warrior’s Made With Luv Mondays which celebrates food made from scratch – and what could contain more love than a dish that contributes to your health?
And to Yeastspotting and to Credit Crunch Munch over at Camilla’s this month.
Many thanks to Sharpham Park for inviting me to the launch of Great British Spelt Recipes, and for the samples of a selection of their products.
If you are worried about bowel cancer, or would like to know more, then please visit Bowel Cancer UK’s website.
Kenwood Chef Classic Range – Image from Kenwood
I always use my much loved Fi Fi La Firecracker Kenwood K-Mix for making dough and recently went to the launch of their new 1970’s inspired retro Kenwood Chef Classic Range, all the advantages of the modern machines with the style of the old (which were on display).
Iconic vintage Kenwood mixers
Kenwood Chef Classic KM350 series will be available from April 2013 at an RRP of £284.99.
I read about this campaign at the weekend and I hadn’t actually realised that Spelt Flour wasn’t from wheat. I really must try this product soon and like that it is easier to digest than wheat. Your pizza base looks fab and buying pizza is so uneconomical. There are no delivered versions that I actually enjoy so making your own is a far better bet and you can tailor areas of the pizza to different tastes. Thanks for a great frugal entry to Credit Crunch Munch:-)
Nice to have you back. This made me suitably starving… x
I’m with Rachel – it’s great to have you back! And I love the sound of using spelt for pizza – I’ve actually never used it for anything and I really should brave-up and give it a go. I also had to pop over and check out your lentil and tomato sauce – wow! So impressed and personally love the combo of lentils and tomatoes… Thanks so much for sharing this with Made with Love Mondays and welcome to the series!
Well, I don’t believe in buying pizza anymore. It’s best to do your own as you mentioned. For me I have found my perfect pizza dough. Still I might try using spelt flour one day. Your pizza looks good, on the picture the bottom seems just right.