Fig & Goat Cheese Pizza with Homemade Spelt Crust

This is my absolute favourite pizza combination! First time trying it homemade and it was a big success.

Start by making your spelt dough.

Combine half a cup of luke warm water, a quarter tablespoon of dry active yeast, one tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon of white sugar in a bowl. Mix well and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. 

Combine one cup of sprouted spelt flour and a pinch of sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture and mix well with your hands. Form you dough into a ball. I noticed while making spelt dough that the flour absorbs much more liquid then regular whole wheat flour, so you might have to add some extra flour until your dough is no longer sticky.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 60 minutes to allow the dough to rise. You may want to add olive oil around the sides of the bowl to help the plastic wrap cling better. 

Punch the air out of the dough. Do not over work the dough. 

You can form your pizza right away or store your dough in an airtight bag in the fridge for future use.

Preheat oven to 450F. Place a pizza stone in the oven prior to heating.

Kneed the dough into a pizza form. You might need to sprinkle the dough with some extra flour if the dough is too sticky. Sprinkle some cornmeal onto a pan and place your dough on top. 

Wiggle the pan around a to make sure your pizza dough is not stuck to the pan. Add more cornmeal under dough if needed.

Evenly spread one third cup of fig compote over the dough. 

Top with thin 50g of thin goat cheese slices, a few slices of grilled chicken breast and a quarter cup of crushed walnuts. 

Slide your pizza off the pan and bake directly on the pizza stone for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is the desired crispiness. 

Remove the  pizza from oven and top with a third cup of arugula. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  

Cut into six slices, and serve!

Fig & Goat Cheese Pizza with Homemade Spelt Crust

Makes 6 slices

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1/4 tbsp dry active yeast

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp white granulated sugar

1 cup sprouted spelt flour

pinch of sea salt

handfull of cornmeal

Toppings:

1/3 cup fig compote

50 g goat cheese

1/4 small grilled chicken breast, sliced

1/4 cup walnuts, crushed

1/3 cup arugula

drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar 

Instructions:

1. Combine water, yeast, oil and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes for yeast to activate. 
2. Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in yeast mixture and mix well and form into a ball. 
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 60 minutes for dough to rise. You may want to add olive oil around the sides of the bowl to help the plastic wrap cling better. 
4. Punch the air out of the dough. Do not over work the dough. 
5. Preheat oven to 450F. Place a pizza stone in the oven prior to heating. 
6. Kneed the dough into a circle. Extra flour might me needed if the dough is too sticky. Sprinkle some cornmeal onto a pan and place your dough on top. 
7. Wiggle the pan around a to make sure your pizza dough is not stuck to the pan. Add more cornmeal under dough if needed.
8. Evenly spread fig compote over the dough. Top with thin slices of goat cheese, sliced chicken and walnuts. 
9. Slide pizza off the pan and bake directly on the pizza stone for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is the desired crispiness. 
10. Remove pizza from oven and top with arugula. 
11. Drizzle oil and balsamic vinegar on top of pizza. 
12. Cut in 6 slices and serve. 

Makes 6 slices. Each slice is approximately 210 calories.