Four years ago this month I was at the point in my health journey where I resented the bad feelings wheat gave me more than I loved the foods that wheat created. I left wheat for good and along with it, gluten.
Some of us that are “gluten-free” have confirmation that our poor health and digestive issues are coming from just that, gluten. Others, like me, have given up “gluten” because we know that we feel really badly when we eat foods made with wheat. Since the majority of prepackaged and prepared foods in our country contain some form or derivative of wheat it’s just easier to describe yourself as gluten-free, whether or not we have traceable reactions to rye, barley or other gluten sources.
The last four years I have strictly avoided gluten-containing foods. After way too many times of getting sick I just don’t even want them anymore. It’s difficult to describe this phenomenon for those who crave cookies, cakes and all things made with wheat but honestly, it holds no appeal. I know it would taste good in my mouth. I vividly remember the silky feeling of wheat noodles or the soft, fluffy texture of bread, but, even more vividly I remember the pain in my guts fifteen minutes later …or the buzzed feeling in my head during a meal devoid of alcohol yet filled with wheat. (Did you know that an allergy reaction can cause you to feel a little drunk? Not in a good way either.) I remember relentless headaches traced back to a dessert and last year I remember six weeks of digestive issues because I accidentally ordered a meal that contained wheat bread crumbs. Those are the things I see when I look at cookies and cakes, bread and pasta.
The last food sensitivity test I had in January changed that for me. It showed me a clear and measurable reaction to the foods that I eat. It confirmed my sensitivity to wheat. This was no surprise. But, what it also showed is that I am NOT necessarily sensitive to gluten. This means that I can test and add in gluten-containing foods that don’t cause me any noticeable reaction, immediate or delayed. They even tested spelt specifically. It is low on the inflammatory scale for me! You can’t imagine how happy I was to find this out and how terrified I was to test it.
I decided to test it with this Ancient Grain Spelt Pizza. A gloriously soft and chewy crust topped with tomato sauce and several cheeses, highlighted with fresh basil sprouts. If you’re going to test and chance a bad reaction, you might as well enjoy it, right!
So, when I do a pizza I always make the crust just as tasty as the rest of the pie. The crust should never be left bare, in my opinion, because it is the best part. For this crust I brushed it with some olive oil, sprinkled it with some dried herbs and some parmesan cheese. Fresh basil sits under the mozzarella cheese as well as above it as fresh sprouts.
Sometimes I will stuff the crust with more mozzarella cheese. In that case roll your dough out larger than the pan allowing the edges to drape over. Place the cheese around the edges of the crust inside the pan edge. Brush some water on the outside edge of the dough and bring it up and over the cheese, sealing the edges so the cheese stays inside.
Let’s get to the recipe! And, btw, I had no reaction to the spelt and it’s become an occasional splurge for me. 🙂
- 2-3 cups of sprouted spelt flour (start with 2 and add slowly until not sticky)
- ¼ cup ground flax seeds
- 2 tsp. yeast
- 2 tsp. honey
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 Tbls melted coconut oil
- pinch of salt
- Toppings of your choice
- Mix yeast and honey into the warm water in large bowl. Allow to proof until foamy (about 10 minutes)
- Mix together the dry ingredients (2 cups of flour), set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients and coconut oil into yeast mixture.
- Mix well and turn out onto floured counter.
- Knead dough, adding more flour as needed, until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Let sit, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 10 minutes.
- Roll dough out onto counter in the shape of your pizza pan.
- Top with desired toppings.
- Bake at 350˚ for about 15 minutes or until crust is browned and center is done.