So, we all like to be able to indulge a little now and again in ‘fast food’ but what if I said you could have all the flavour of your favourite pizza without all the guilt!! You could actually even go so far to say it’s healthy!!! One easy step is to substitute your wheat flour for the true non-hybrid grain, Spelt. Spelt contains the eight essential amino acids. It is about 60% higher in protein than wheat and contains B vitamins, iron, potassium, magnesium, and fiber. This grain with the deliciously light, nutty flavor has been grown and eaten around the world for the last 5,000 years.
Health Benefits are:
- People with a range of health issues, including digestive problems, arthritis, Lyme’s disease, migraines, behavioural issues, skin irritations, irritable bowel syndrome, and others report that they feel better eating spelt rather than common wheat.
- It is a food that our body recognizes as food, not one that was created for modern conveniences. As we like to say, “Eat spelt, your body will thank you.”
- Spelt’s relatively fragile gluten is easily broken apart during the chewing and mixing action which allows the enzymes and acid secreted during the digestive process to work on the surface of the food. During the digestive process, wheat forms a bolus which remains a ball making it harder to digest.
Of course the base is a healthy alternative to regular pizza so don’t go ruining it with your toppings!! Stick with tomato puree with mixed dry herbs for your sauce and low fat mozzarella cheese…don’t forget pepperoni is high in fat so why not swap for some parma ham or load up on vegetables and spices to keep it tasty…just remain mindful!!
SPELT PIZZA BASE
Prep 15m
Total Time: 2hr 35m
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 cups of Spelt Flour
1 cup of warm previously boiled water
2 teaspoons of honey
1 packet of active dry yeast
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
- Whisk 1 cup flour, water, honey, and yeast together in a bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and mixture is bubbly, about 20 minutes.
- Stir remaining flour and olive oil into yeast mixture. Bring together and knead for 5-10mins , adding more flour as necessary, until a soft and tacky dough forms. Place dough in mixing bowl with a little olive oil, cover bowl with clingfilm or a plate in a draught free warm area, and let rise until doubled in size, 90 minutes.
- Punch dough down and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4 balls for individual pizzas or 2 larger pizzas. Roll to desired size and thickness.
- Put directly onto pizza tray or if you have a cast iron pan.
- Top pizza with ingredients of choice.
- Place pizza over direct heat for a few mins to crisp base before placing in hot preheated oven for 10 mins.
