Einkorn Sourdough Pizza
I have been baking homemade pizza for years with all-purpose white flour. For the longest time, I relied on a traditional yeast bread for the crust. It worked just fine, tasted good, and was healthier than carryout. But last year, I found a new love in sourdough pizza. We preferred the taste and texture even more! I made lots and lots of sourdough pizza, especially on evenings when I forgot to thaw meat or didn’t have a lot of time to cook. I tried to always have the ingredients on hand in case I needed to pull dinner together with a pizza night.
Even though homemade sourdough pizza was certainly healthier than carryout, or even my homemade yeast dough, I wanted to make it even better with a switch to einkorn flour. It was a simple change and I’d argue that the crust flavor is even better! This recipe does require an active einkorn sourdough starter, but it’s easy to maintain once it gets started and its benefits are so worth the effort.
Einkorn Sourdough Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups active & bubbly einkorn sourdough starter (last fed at least 8-12 hours before, longer is ok too)
- 1 1/2 tbsp oil - extra virgin olive oil (I used this one for this recipe)
- 1 tsp sea salt (I use this one)
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups organic all-purpose einkorn flour
- your favorite pizza toppings!
Instructions
- Mix sourdough starter and extra virgin olive oil in a bowl.
- Add 1 cup of flour and 1 tsp of salt.
- Mix well, adding more flour as needed to form a nice dough ball that’s not very sticky, but also not dry and crumbly. I usually mix the dough with a fork until it gets too sticky, and then switch to kneading with my hands. The amount of flour you'll add depends on your sourdough starter hydration level. Add just enough so that the dough doesn't stick to your hands when working it.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let sour in a warm spot for at least 30 minutes, but up to several hours if desired. The dough won’t rise very much, so don’t worry if you don’t see it grow. This step makes the dough more workable and isn't meant as much for a souring time.
- After proofing time, preheat oven to 370 degrees. I bake the crust at this lower temperature to avoid making the oil go rancid (its smoke point is 375 degrees). If a higher baking temperature is desired, switch to avocado oil.
- Roll out dough on a smooth, well-floured surface, adding more flour as needed. I usually start the dough on the counter, but move it to the pizza stone to finish it off. If you don’t have a stone, roll it out completely on the counter and then transfer to your pizza pan. I sometimes add a crust, but other times I just leave the dough flat all the way around. This time, I chose to roll it flat up to the edges.
- Bake the pizza dough alone for about 5-10 minutes, or until the edges just start to brown. Watch the dough closely so it doesn’t over-bake.
- Pull the dough from the oven and then back the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.
- Add your favorite pizza toppings. We like it pretty simple with just pizza sauce and cheese (and maybe pepperoni). I like to use a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. I also always sprinkle some dried parsley flakes on top for color.
- Bake until the pizza is done, 10 to 25 minutes, depending on toppings and your oven. Remember, 350 degrees! Keep a close eye on your pizza until you have a general idea how long it will take to finish baking.
- Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing up and enjoying.
Hello! I have about 2 cups of einkorn sourdough discard in the fridge. I made crackers with the previous batch of discard and started this new batch of discard about a week ago or so. Can I use that for when the recipe calls for “unfed starter”?
Hey Ashleigh!
Gotcha. Thanks! 🙂
I never have any discard. I only bake once per week so I pull the started out of the fridge the night before and feed it. The next day when I’m done baking, I feed the starter of I need to bulk it up, otherwise it goes straight back into the fridge. As you said, the flour costs too much for me to waste any!
Super wise, Jana! I keep mine out on the counter probably way more than I should, but if I know I’ll be going awhile without baking, I definitely pop it into the fridge too. What is the longest amount of time you have left it in the fridge? I’ve gone maybe 2 weeks (possibly 3??), but I always pull it out to feed it when it starts to separate and look … well, kinda gray and eh. Merry Christmas!