Einkorn Crust Pizza

Sorry that I have not posted in a while! The whole family caught the flu and we were very sick. I am feeling so much better now and figured I would post one of my favorite recipes.

I usually make this pizza with 1/2 white flour and 1/2 wheat, but I wanted to try the crust with 100% Einkorn Flour.  This flour is an ancient grain and some people with gluten sensitivity have claimed that it is easier on their tummy. I am not sure if this is true or not; I picked up this flour because it was different and I wanted to give it a try.  Here is more information if you are interested in learning more about Einkorn Flour: http://www.einkorn.com/is-einkorn-flour-gluten-free/ 

Ingredients (The Crust):
2 1/2 cups organic Einkorn flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 packet of yeast (or 1 teaspoon of yeast)
1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 Tablespoons organic olive oil

Mix 1 1/4 cup flour with salt and yeast. Then add the 1 cup water and 2 TBSP of oil. Mix well. You can use a mixer too- 30 seconds on low and 3 minutes on high.  I did not want to wash an extra bowl so I just mixed it for 2 minutes with a large wooden spoon. Add remaining 1 1/4 cup of flour. Kneed for 6-8 minutes. I like to have a measuring cup of extra flour nearby in case it sticks to the counter top.  Cover bowl and let rise 45 minutes.

Cover the surface of a large baking pan with lots of corn meal (this prevents sticking and also helps make the crust crispy). Roll out dough and stretch onto pan.

Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. Check at 7 minutes to make sure the crust doesn't burn on bottom. Add desired pizza toppings.

Ingredients (The Toppings):
1/2 jar of Bertolli Olive Oil and Garlic sauce
1 small can of organic tomato paste
oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
quartered artichoke hearts
5-7 organic mushrooms, chopped
1/2 of a small sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
avocado pieces
Daiya cheddar cheese (This is a non-dairy/vegan cheese. It tastes nom but I do not consider this product healthy. Sometimes we do not have any cheese on our pizza, it just depends on how we are feeling when we are cooking.)

I like to saute my mushrooms, onion and garlic before cooking the pizza. I also pre-mix the Bertolli and tomato paste in a separate pan and add water to get my desired consistency. Add all toppings and bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. Check bottom of crust at 10 minutes. I also love to add spinach as a topping before putting the red sauce on. Love the added health factor.

The Einkorn flour crust was really good. Crispy and tasty! I was pleasantly surprised and would definitely use it again.