Flashbacks of greasy, stomach-clogging cheese, overly salty sauce and dough you know won’t sit well once dinner is over can sometimes be enough to keep pizza off your plate for good. But before you dismiss a dish that made movie nights complete and party meals easier to manage, give this homemade, wholesome pie a try. Spelt flour creates a chewy-crisp crust loaded with whole-grain goodness, while chunky red pepper sauce fires up flavor enough that you won’t think twice about the missing mozzarella. Leave pepperoni rounds in the past and instead spread on roasted hazelnuts for the ultimate gourmet topping.
Red Pepper & Hazelnut Spelt-Crust Pizza
Makes 8 individual-sized pizzas
Ingredients
Spelt Crust
2 Tbsp. quick-rise yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
4 cups spelt flour
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
2 red bell peppers, seeded/cut into 1” cubes
2 (19-oz.) cans salt-free diced tomatoes
1 fresh red chili, minced
1-1/2 cups roasted hazelnuts, chopped
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Optional (garnish): 4 fresh red chilis, halved
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- To make dough, combine water, yeast and sugar; let proof 10 minutes, until foamy, then mix in olive oil. By hand, or with stand mixer and dough hook, mix together salt and flour. Slowly mix in yeast mixture, then knead by hand until dough is elastic. Place dough in oil-coated bowl covered by towel and let rise 2 hours (or refrigerate overnight, bringing to room temperature before rolling out).
- To make sauce, combine all ingredients in 9”x13” baking dish and roast for 45-50 minutes until peppers are tender; let cool.
- Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
- Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece on flour-dusted counter until thin. Arrange crust on baking sheets, brush with olive oil and top with sauce and hazelnuts.
- Bake pizza for 15-25 minutes until dough is crisp. Top with 1 chili per half pizza, if desired.
