Simple Einkorn Pizza Dough in Under an Hour

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Pizza has been a long-standing favorite in our house. And while we have our beloved Saturday night pizza nights with our deep-dish sourdough pizza, sometimes we want to do a quick weeknight pizza. With our once-a-month sourdough routine, I don’t often have sourdough ready during the week to whip up a crust that way. However, we have found the perfect solution. This quick einkorn pizza dough is a game changer for getting a simple yet delicious pizza dinner on the table in no time!

For the Love of Pizza

When I was a kid, long before our homesteading and from scratch cooking days, my mom had a system called “dinner nights”. Each night of the week, a different person of the family was assigned to choose and cook dinner that night. Well, no surprise but one of my go-to dinner choices were pre-made Boboli Pizza crusts. I would add my own sauce, cheese, and toppings and in my 10-year-old mind, I had just cooked up the most gourmet, homemade dinner you could imagine.

Pizza was always a favorite. Normally my meal of choice for birthdays and special occasions. After getting married, I decided that a weekly pizza night should be a thing and it was time to learn how to make it all, crust included, from scratch. While we’ve tested a variety of recipes over the years, this einkorn pizza dough for weeknights or lunches along with deep-dish sourdough pizza for Saturday pizza night, have become our two mainstays.

Why Einkorn?

Einkorn is an heirloom variety of wheat and is the only form of wheat that’s never been hybridized. It has a weaker gluten which makes it easier to digest and lacks the gluten proteins that can trigger a reaction to gluten. Additionally, einkorn also stands out in its nutritional profile compared to modern day wheat varieties. It is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates while being rich in carotenoids, phosphorus, vitamin B6, potassium, antioxidants and amino acids.

Einkorn actually translates to “one kernel”, which refers to the way it grows. It more closely resembles rice or orzo than modern wheat, with only one grain per spikelet. The beauty of einkorn is that even with all of these amazing properties, it still tastes great with a nutty flavor and silky texture. Einkorn also works extremely well in baking from scones to bread to pizza dough, you can’t go wrong. 

We like to purchase einkorn berries in bulk and grind the berries as needed in our manual grinder. Our favorite source is from Janie’s Mill, a local organic mill here in the Midwest.

Key Ingredient to Quick Einkorn Pizza Dough – Instant Yeast

In order to make this einkorn pizza dough in less than an hour, the secret ingredient is quick rise or instant yeast. This is different from the standard active dry yeast. The main differences between instant yeast vs active dry yeast are that instant yeast has been dried more quickly and milled into smaller particles. This means that it dissolves and activates faster. Unlike active dry yeast that needs to be dissolved in water, instant yeast can be mixed directly into your ingredients.

In this einkorn pizza dough, adding instant yeast results in a perfectly fluffy crust with very little wait time for rising and eliminates the need to pre-bake the crust.

What Else is Needed for Einkorn Pizza Dough?

The einkorn flour and instant or quick rise yeast are the 2 main ingredients in this recipe, the only other things that you need are sugar, salt, water, and olive oil to make the perfect einkorn pizza dough.

In terms of equipment needed for this recipe, that’s basic too. You just need two pans to cook the pizza on – our favorite method is to use two 12” inch cast iron pans. However, a pizza stone or cookie sheet would work as well. Just make sure to grease thoroughly or use parchment paper so it doesn’t stick. You could use a rolling pin, but I actually prefer to just use my hands to roll out.

Einkorn Pizza Dough FAQ’s

How much does this recipe make? 

This recipe yields 2 medium-large pizzas. We roll them out to be 12” in diameter. However, if you like a thicker crust, you could roll it out into a smaller crust, just bake longer to compensate for the thicker crust.

Can you freeze the einkorn pizza dough? 

Yes! This pizza dough freezes beautifully. After forming the dough into 2 balls simple freeze in Ziploc bags (we like to cover in a light layer of olive oil to stay moist). When you are ready to use, remove from the freezer and place in the fridge overnight. Before you are ready to roll out, remove from fridge to allow it to get to room temperature, roll out and cook according to the instructions in this recipe.

Do you need to pre-bake the crust? 

No! Another time saving feature about this quick einkorn pizza dough. You do not need to pre-bake the crust. After it is rolled out, top as desired and bake!

Do you have to use Einkorn flour? 

Nope. This recipe will work fine with any wheat flour. We’ve found that einkorn tends to use a little more flour than other wheat varieties so just make sure you start at 4 cups and slowly incorporate wheat until the dough reaches the right consistency.

Favorite toppings? 

This is totally up to you! Einkorn pizza dough does make a nice hearty pizza dough so you can feel free to load it up with whatever toppings you’d like while still having a perfectly hand holdable slice of pizza. Our favorites lately have been using all of the tomato sauce or pesto we’ve preserved from our garden and topping it with a combination of our mozzarella and shredded cheddar cheese with whatever meat and garden veggies we have on hand – green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, sausage or pepperoni – you can’t go wrong!

Enough talking, on with the recipe – The perfect weeknight Einkorn Pizza Dough!

Einkorn Pizza Dough Recipe

Ingredients:

4-5 cups of Einkorn Flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1-¼ tsp Instant or quick rise yeast
1.5 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix 4 cups of flour with the other dry ingredients (sugar, salt, and yeast) in a mixing bowl.
2. Add in water and olive oil.
3. Stir everything together. Add flour ¼ cup at a time until a soft, kneadable dough is formed (I end up using between 4.5 – 5 cups).
4. Knead dough for 5 minutes.
5. Place dough back in bowl and let rest for 15-20 minutes. This is a great time to prepare your pizza toppings!

6. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
7. Divide dough into 2 balls and roll out onto preheated 12” cast iron pans or pizza pans lined with parchment paper.
8. Add sauce, cheese, and desired toppings.
9. Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees (if your crust is thicker, it may need more time) until cheese is melted.

That’s it. This easy peasy einkorn pizza dough will ensue cheers of delight around your table if you are looking for a quick meal that the whole family will love! 

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To check out more of our favorite fresh from the farm dinner recipes, check out our butternut squash enchiladas or lasagna!

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