Thin Crust Spelt Flour Pizza

It's a new month and time to get back to normal after all of the school and public holidays which have had many of us wandering around much of the time scratching our heads and trying to work out what day it is! (Or maybe that was just me?) Last week I took a little break and the family headed to beautiful Knysna for a couple of wonderfully chilled days. Well, as chilled as you can be with two small children running about. We had a brilliant time and I so enjoyed being out of the normal routine, free from the usual daily chores and away from my laptop screen! Just what the doctor ordered. 

Onto this week's recipe and this spelt flour pizza is inspired by travels to my favourite European country and the home of pizza. When I think of my visits to Italy a couple of things come to mind - the impressive historical monuments that I could not quite believe I was seeing with my own eyes, the insanely speedy taxi drivers and of course - the incredible food! What better way to fuel up after a busy day of sightseeing than with an authentic lip-smackingly scrumptious pizza, a steaming bowl of fresh pasta or a cone filled with the creamiest and most delicious gelato you have ever tasted, all with the bustling Italian city streets as the backdrop. Carbo loading never tasted so good! 

Pizza is always a favourite in our house and although it requires a little bit of effort we far prefer our home made version to a take away. The spelt flour adds a slightly more wholesome spin to the base and I hope you will love it as much as we do.

You can't beat a delicious homemade tomato sauce and this easy recipe is worth the extra effort. You will have it whipped up in no time! I included some of our favourite toppings on this pizza: salami, mushrooms, basil pesto and Italian herbs along with plenty of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Mamma Mia! What are your favourite combinations? 

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THIN CRUST SPELT PIZZA

Makes 2 large tray pizzas

For the pizza dough:

150g plain flour
150g spelt flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fine salt
10g instant yeast
a drizzle of olive oil
150-200ml warm water
extra flour for dusting

For the sauce:

1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp crushed garlic
400g tin peeled and chopped tomatoes
50g tomato paste
50ml water
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
1 tsp Italian herbs

For the topping: 

grated cheddar cheese
grated mozzarella cheese
a selection of your favourite toppings
Italian herbs for sprinkling

Step 1.) To make the pizza dough: Mix the flours, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl. Add the olive oil and 150ml of the warm water. Mix to form a dough (add a little more water if the dough is dry). Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for about an hour to rise. 

Step 2.) To make the sauce: heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir and leave to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened. Set aside to cool slightly.  

Step 3.) Preheat your oven to 200°C and grease two large baking trays. Dust your work surface with flour and halve the dough. Roll each piece of dough out as thinly as you can into a rectangle and pop each base onto a tray. 

Step 4.) Spread the cooled tomato sauce over the bases. Top with grated cheese and your favourite toppings. Finish with a sprinkling of Italian herbs. 

Step 5.) Pop the pizzas in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the base is cooked through. Slice and serve immediately.