Learn how to make pizza dough with spelt! This spelt flour pizza dough recipe is a delicious way to eat heart-healthy whole grains. Get info on why this spelt pizza base uses the best flour for pizza dough, get tips on making it vegan, and more! You’ll love how easy this homemade pizza crust recipe is, with no proofing required!
This pizza recipe uses whole grain spelt flour, an ancient grain that is related to the modern varieties of wheat. Some people report finding spelt easier to digest than whole wheat. Honestly, I use it because I think it tastes better.
So, my answer to “Is spelt flour good for pizza dough?” is a definitive YES. But after I first posted this recipe in 2019, a reader pointed out a way to make it even better.
No matter the type of whole grain flour you use, 100% whole grain recipes always taste a little... healthy. I like the earthy taste of whole grains, but I get that not everyone does. Luckily, there’s an easy way to make this spelt flour pizza base taste like it was made with white flour.
What you need to do is use a combination of 00 flour and spelt flour in this recipe. Caputo 00 flour is a finely ground flour used in authentic Neapolitan pizza recipes. It gives you a perfectly crispy pizza crust with a chewy, bready, center.
Adding spelt flour to a Caputo flour pizza dough recipe offers up all the goodness of authentic Italian pizza with more fiber. It’s the best of both pizza worlds!
And if you’re more health-minded and want to use 100% spelt flour, you can do that too. It’s your pizza, after all!
Jump to:
- 📋 Spelt Grain Nutrition
- ⭐ Spelt Flour Pizza Dough Benefits
- 🥘 Spelt Flour Pizza Dough Ingredients
- 🍽 Equipment
- 🔪 How to Make Spelt Pizza Dough
- ️⏲ Baking Time and Temperature
- ️🌡️ Freezing Pizza Dough
- 🥗 How to Serve Spelt Pizza
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 🍕 More Pizza Recipes
- 👩🍳 Other Spelt Flour Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- 🧀 Spelt Pizza Dough Toppings
📋 Spelt Grain Nutrition
How many calories in spelt flour? One-fourth cup of spelt flour 100 calories, 18 grams net carbs, and 4 grams protein. This is for my favorite organic sprouted spelt flour (this one).
To compare, one-fourth cup of King Arthur brand whole wheat flour has 100 calories, 18 grams net carbs, and 4 grams protein. As you can see, there’s not a big difference nutritionally between spelt and whole wheat pizza dough.
One serving of spelt flour pizza dough has 380 calories, 62.2 grams net carbs, and 14.1 grams protein. This is for a spelt pizza crust without toppings. One serving is ¼ of the recipe, or half of one of the spelt pizzas.
⭐ Spelt Flour Pizza Dough Benefits
Why make spelt flour pizza dough? Here are some reasons to love this easy recipe:
- Whole grain spelt crust: You can make this spelt crust 100% whole grains or go 50/50 with refined flour. DIY pizza crusts are great because you can make them as healthy as you’d like.
- Fiber: Whole grain spelt is rich in fiber that’s good for digestion and healthy blood cholesterol levels. In addition, spelt provides an assortment of B vitamins and naturally contains some non-heme iron.
- Fast: We’re using instant yeast in this recipe for a quick and easy spelt pizza dough. That means there’s no waiting for hours because there’s no need to proof the dough. You just mix it up and pop it in the oven!
- No food processor pizza crust: There’s minimal clean up with this recipe because no special equipment is needed. You don’t need a food processor, stand mixer, or pizza stone to make this.
- Customizable: I’m giving you the basic spelt pizza dough recipe, which you can customize however you’d like. Use vegetarian pizza toppings, make a meat lovers’ pizza, or choose a plain cheese pizza. They’ll all turn out tasty for a fun family dinner!
- Delicious: I think that spelt tastes better than modern whole wheat, and that is my main reason for using it here. However, you can use regular whole wheat in this recipe instead if you’d like. Regular whole wheat flour tends to be easier to find and typically costs less as well.
🥘 Spelt Flour Pizza Dough Ingredients
What do you need to make spelt flour pizza dough? Here's your simple shopping list:
- Spelt flour
- 00 flour (or use more spelt flour)
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil
- Salt
- Sugar
- Avocado oil (or another neutral cooking oil)
- Instant yeast (RapidRise yeast, not regular active dry yeast)
- Cooking spray
Find exact quantities of ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Also, don’t miss the section on pizza toppings for some ideas to top your pizza!
I’m using whole grain sprouted spelt flour in this recipe. You could make a white spelt flour pizza dough, but white spelt flour is not whole grain. It has been processed so that the germ and bran are removed, leaving only the endosperm of the grain.
It’s confusing, because there’s also white whole wheat flour that is whole grain.
Another common question is whether bread flour or all-purpose flour is better for pizza. The amount of protein in AP flour and other flours can actually vary by country. As a result, the pizza crusts turn out differently.
The flour in the U.S. tends to have higher protein than other parts of the world, such as in Scandinavia. I am providing links to the flours I am using in the recipe card, so you’ll have the same results I do.
IMVHO, Caputo 00 flour is the best pizza crust flour of the white flours, better than both bread flour or AP flour. Try to find it if you can!
🍽 Equipment
Here’s the kitchen equipment you need to make spelt pizza dough:
- Food Scale
- Dark Baking Sheets
- Pizza Cutter
You'll also need an oven and a bowl for mixing the dough (of course). You don’t need a rolling pin, as it’s easier to shape the dough by hand.
I highly recommend using a food scale to weigh the dry ingredients when making pizza dough. The same weight of flour can have different volumes depending on how much it was packed down. Weighing will help you get more consistent results in your recipes every time.
🔪 How to Make Spelt Pizza Dough
Time to make spelt flour pizza dough! Begin by stirring the warm water, sugar, oil, and instant yeast together in a small bowl. Let it sit while you continue to work on the recipe.
Preheat the oven to 500F (260C). Mist two dark cookie sheets with cooking oil spray.
Mix the flours, Parm, oregano, basil, and salt together. (Remember to weigh the flours!) Stir in the yeast mixture.
You’ll want to use a spoon to mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients at first. As it begins to come together, use clean hands to knead it into a ball.
Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. The dough should be neither too sticky nor too crumbly.
Let the dough rest while you prepare the toppings. When you’re ready to top the dough, divide it into two equal pieces. (This recipe makes two pizzas.)
I find it’s easiest to press the dough out using clean hands. So don’t bother dirtying a rolling pin.
Shape each dough ball on a baking sheet into a 10-inch diameter circle (25.4 cm). You want the crust to be thin, but with no holes. The edges of each pizza crust should be slightly thicker than the middle (to help the toppings stay on).
Now you are ready to top the spelt pizza bases with sauce, cheese, and other pizza toppings. All you have left to do is bake the pizzas!
️⏲ Baking Time and Temperature
Spelt flour pizza bakes for 9-10 minutes in oven preheated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260C). Bake one pizza crust at a time on a rack about one-third down from the top of the oven.
Allow the pizza to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and enjoying. You can also garnish the pizzas if you choose. I like to use grated Parm cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh basil.
The combination of spelt and 00 flour makes a crust that’s soft inside and bready. However, the slices can be picked up easily- no fork required!
If you use 100% spelt flour, you won’t get the good gluten development that you get with a flour mix. The crust tends to be harder with all spelt (though it is still plenty tasty in my book).
️🌡️ Freezing Pizza Dough
Spelt pizza dough freezes well! To freeze spelt pizza dough, wrap the dough balls individually in plastic wrap. Then put them in a freezer bag with the air pressed out.
Thaw your spelt dough in the refrigerator before using. Uncooked spelt pizza dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Cooked spelt pizza slices can last in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat spelt flour pizza leftovers, I highly recommend air frying! These reheat pizza in air fryer directions are the best way to reheat old pizza.
Be sure to let your spelt pizza cool for a few minutes after air frying. This will give it more time to firm back up.
🥗 How to Serve Spelt Pizza
My favorite side dish for pizza is a big side salad. Here are a few more foods that go with pizza:
- Air Fryer Garlic Bread
- Keto Crackers (just slice them into cheesy breadsticks!)
- Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables
- Trader Joe’s Mac and Cheese Bites
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). I actively limited foods made with flour, including pizza, during my weight loss. If you are like me and find foods with flour very easy to overeat, you don’t have to eat them. I was able to reincorporate some of these foods after my maintenance weight had stabilized.
For some, restricting foods made with flour may lead to feelings of deprivation and extreme overeating. In that case, the strategy that I used may not be what’s best for you. If you have a weight loss goal, it is important to be honest with yourself about how these food choices may impact you.
So that brings me to a common question...
Are whole grains good for weight loss?
In short, I don’t consider most grains (including whole grains) the best option for losing weight. (Sorry old- and no longer used- food pyramid!) Lean proteins and non-starchy veggies tend to be more filling relative to the calories they provide.
Most flours (including whole spelt flour) have 100-110 calories per ¼ cup. That adds up very quickly when you are eating bread or pizza. It can be challenging to maintain a calorie deficit for weight loss when including lots of foods made with flour.
With the toppings below and a side salad, you will have a meal that’s about 750 calories. The easiest way to lighten this dish is to enjoy two slices of pizza instead of four, and to add more greens to your side salad. As long as you don’t pile on a high calorie dressing, you’ll increase the volume of the meal and lower the calories.
FAQs
Jamie Oliver has a popular spelt flour pizza dough yeast free recipe that you can find here. And here’s a really simple no yeast pizza dough recipe from the BBC. (You can use spelt flour in place of some of the white flour in that recipe.)
If you are on a dairy-free diet, making vegan spelt flour pizza dough is easy. Simply swap out the Parmesan cheese in this recipe for a 1:1 vegan Parmesan cheese alternative. Here’s a vegan cashew cheese made with nutritional yeast you can try.
The King Arthur website contains many of my favorite sourdough discard recipes. Here is their recipe for a sourdough pizza crust that you can use unfed spelt sourdough starter in.
Since spelt is a variety of wheat, it does contain gluten. Thus, this recipe is not appropriate for those with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), or others who are on gluten-free diets.
In general, the healthiest pizza dough is made with whole grains and other whole foods, with minimal added sugar and oil. But, if you’re faring well with a certain special diet, “healthy” would be the pizza dough that fits that diet. For example, a keto pizza dough might be healthiest if you use a low carb diet for diabetes.
To fix pizza dough that’s too wet, you can knead a little more flour in. Fix pizza dough that’s too dry with a little more water. (Keep in mind that some say slightly sticky pizza dough makes the best crust!)
🍕 More Pizza Recipes
Want more recipes for pizza? Here are some more pizza recipes you need to try:
👩🍳 Other Spelt Flour Recipes
Are you looking for more things to make with spelt flour? Here are some recipes that use spelt flour to check out next:
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Spelt Flour Pizza Dough Recipe (Spelt Pizza Crust)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 360 grams whole grain spelt flour equals about 3 cups of sprouted spelt flour (OR use 180 grams spelt flour plus 180 grams 00 flour for improved taste and texture)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm water (not hot water)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil (or other cooking oil)
- 1 packet instant yeast (approximately 2¼ teaspoons yeast)
- cooking spray of choice
- pizza toppings (see recipe notes)
Instructions
- Stir the warm water, sugar, oil, and instant yeast together in a small bowl. Let it sit while you continue to work on the recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Mist two dark cookie sheets with cooking oil spray.
- Mix the flours, Parm, oregano, basil, and salt together. Stir in the yeast mixture.
- Use a spoon to mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients at first. As it begins to come together, use clean hands to knead it into a ball. Knead for 2-3 minutes.
- Let the ball of dough rest while you prepare the toppings.
- Divide your ball of dough into two pieces. Using your hands, press each dough ball out on a baking sheet into a 10-inch diameter circle (25.4 cm). You want the crusts to be thin, but with no holes. The edges of each pizza crust should be slightly thicker than the middle (to help the toppings stay on).
- Top the spelt pizza crusts with sauce, cheese, and other pizza toppings (as desired).
- Bake the crusts, one at a time, at 500°F (260°C) for 9-10 minutes. Use an oven rack about ⅓ down from the top of the oven.
- Allow the pizza to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and enjoying. I typically cut each pie into 8 pieces. Buon appetito!
Video
Notes
Are whole grains good for weight loss?
In short, I don’t consider most grains (including whole grains) the best option for losing weight. (Sorry old- and no longer used- food pyramid!) Lean proteins and non-starchy veggies tend to be more filling relative to the calories they provide. Most flours (including whole spelt flour) have 100-110 calories per ¼ cup. That adds up very quickly when you are eating bread or pizza. It can be challenging to maintain a calorie deficit for weight loss when including lots of foods made with flour. With the toppings below and a side salad, you will have a meal that’s about 750 calories. The easiest way to lighten this dish is to enjoy two slices of pizza instead of four, and to add more greens to your side salad. As long as you don’t pile on a high calorie dressing, you’ll increase the volume of the meal and lower the calories.🧀 Spelt Pizza Dough Toppings
Here’s how to top spelt pizza crust. These ingredients are enough to top the entire pizza crust recipe above (i.e., toppings for 2 pizzas):
- 8 ounces part skim shredded mozzarella cheese (227 grams)
- 1.5 cups marinara sauce (or your favorite tomato-based pizza sauce)
- 4 basil leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil or canola oil)
- 2 fully cooked Italian chicken sausages
- 8 ounces green pepper (227 grams)
- 4.5 ounces onion (128 grams, about 0.5 of an onion)
- 4 ounces sliced mushrooms (113 grams)
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