Crispy Einkorn Pizza Crust with Kefir

Have you ever had pizza crust made with einkorn flour?

Vertical image of a piece of pepperoni and onion pizza with an einkorn and kefir crust on a blue and white plate, with the rest of the pie on a metal pan in the background with a round cutting wheel, on a gray surface with a red cloth, printed with orange and white text at the midpoint and the bottom of the frame.

Einkorn flour is actually an ancient form of wheat that makes for a tasty and flavorful crust.

For those who are sensitive to gluten, this type of flour makes a very nice option that has good structure and doesn’t simply fall apart in your hands. But keep in mind that it is not gluten free or appropriate for use by those with celiac.

The flavor is actually a little bit nutty, which means it pairs deliciously with so many different types of sauces and toppings.

Vertical overhead image of a homemade pepperoni, red bell pepper, and onion pizza on a metal pan, on top of a red cloth on a gray surface, with a cutting wheel tool.

Homemade pizza is a favorite among kids and adults for a reason. Not only is it delicious, it’s also fun to create at home, with everyone gathered in the kitchen and kneading the dough together.

Each person can make their own personal pizza with whatever toppings they like, so you can guarantee that everyone will be happy and excited about dinner.

I remember when I was a kid, my mom and I would have pizza and movie nights that I would always look forward to. However, as a working single mom, making the crust from scratch was not a high priority on Mom’s list. We’d buy premade dough at the store, then make our own individual rounds with whatever we had on hand in terms of toppings.

As an adult, I started trying to make my own dough at home. This was after I went to Rome and realized that the pizza I ate there was so much better because the crust was made from scratch.

Vertical overhead closely cropped image of a pepperoni, red bell pepper, and onion pizza on an einkorn crust on a metal pan, on a gray surface topped with a red cloth.

Of course, there was a lot of trial and error in this process. Some recipes took way too long to prepare, and hours to rise. Others just came out without enough flavor, or they tasted too much like flour.

But this recipe is one that is totally foolproof.

It doesn’t require a ton of kneading, and it comes together in one bowl. You only have to wait one hour to let the dough rise. Not to mention, the final result has the ideal texture and the best flavor.

It’s also made it with kefir, a naturally probiotic-rich dairy beverage that you can buy at the grocery store, or make at home. It has its differences from yogurt, so make sure you’re buying the right product!

Vertical overhead image of four triangular pieces of pepperoni, bell pepper, and onion pizza on a metal pan, with slices on two blue and white plates at the bottom of the frame, and a metal cutting wheel with a red handle, on a gray surface with a red cloth.

I prefer this recipe over so many of the others that I have tried. It gets all golden brown and crisp on the outside, with just the right chewy bite on the inside.

You can top it with marinara sauce or pesto, white sauce, or no sauce at all. Every single vegetable and meat option out there is tasty on top (trust me, I’ve done the leg work on this).

I also like this recipe because it creates two personal-sized rounds that are about 9 inches in diameter. For my husband and me, it makes homemade pizza night a whole lot easier because we can make one batch to cover both of our appetites.

It also takes away the risk of any potential arguing about what toppings we want. Trust me, there have been some doozies. We are both very passionate about what we eat, so when we aren’t in the mood for the same thing, it can get a little rough.

Vertical image of a black plastic spatula lifting a piece of pepperoni, pepper, and onion pizza with an einkorn crust up to the camera, with the rest of the dish on a metal pan in soft focus in the background, on a gray surface with a red cloth.

Some of my favorite topping combos are butternut squash puree and diced apples with pecans and crumbled blue cheese, like this recipe here, or parsley pesto with grape tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

There have also been times when we both love the same combination of toppings and argue over who gets the last slice… so make your own personal pizza, and stake your claim to each and every bite!

Maybe we sound a little crazy. But food is a serious subject to us! A very serious subject.

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Overhead horizontal image of einkorn pizza dough rolled out into a circle on a lightly floured countertop, with a marble rolling pin to the right.

Einkorn Pizza Crust with Kefir


  • Author: Meghan Yager
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 9-inch crusts 1x

Description

When it comes to making dough from scratch, homemade einkorn pizza crust is a flavorful, easy way to do it. It’s delicious with your favorite toppings.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups einkorn flour, plus more as needed
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 packet dry instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1/4 cup plain kefir
  • 1/4 cup warm water, plus more as needed

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, stir together einkorn flour, salt, and yeast until combined. Add olive oil, kefir, and warm water, and stir until the mixture starts to come together.
  2. Using your hands, knead the mixture in the bowl until it forms a smooth dough that is no longer sticky. You want it to be soft and pliable, and it shouldn’t stick to your hands too much. Form into a ball.
  3. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top. Roll the dough in oil until it’s covered with a thin layer, and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and leave in a warm place for at least 1 hour, until doubled in size. Dough can be used immediately, or refrigerated until ready for use.
  4. When ready to use, split the dough in half. Stretch and roll each piece out onto parchment paper, flouring your hands and the dough as necessary, free-forming it into two 9-inch crusts.
  5. Top as desired, and bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes.

Notes

Note that nutritional information below is for the crust only, and does not include optional toppings.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Pizza
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Baked Goods

Keywords: pizza, einkorn flour, einkorn, pizza dough

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Heat Water and Measure Ingredients

Warm up ¼ cup of water in a small microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring pitcher for about 10-15 seconds.

The water should be about 105-110˚F, warm enough to activate the yeast, but not hot to the touch. Water that is too hot will kill the yeast.

Horizontal overhead image of three small round glass bowls, one small square glass bow, and a medium-sized stainless steel bowl of salt, oil, yeast, water, kefir, and einkorn flour, on a mottled gray surface.

Measure out all of your ingredients as listed on the ingredients list.

Step 2 – Combine Ingredients and Knead

Stir together the einkorn flour, salt, and yeast in a medium-sized bowl until combined.

Closely cropped overhead horizontal image of a wooden spoon stirring a flour mixture in a stainless steel mixing bowl, on a blue-gray surface.

Stir in the olive oil, kefir, and warm water until the mixture starts to come together.

Use your hands to knead the dough right in the bowl. You can also turn it out onto a work surface to knead, but I like to keep my counters clean and avoid the extra cleanup. The dough should be smooth and no longer sticky.

Overhead closely cropped horizontal image of a stainless steel bowl filled with a lumpy flour mixture.

If you need to, you can add up to an extra 1/4 cup of warm water or 1/4 cup of flour if the dough is too dry, or too wet or sticky. Add water or flour as needed, a few teaspoons at a time.

Horizontal overhead closely cropped image of a ball of dough in a stainless steel mixing bowl, on a blue-gray surface.

Form the dough into a ball.

Step 3 – Let Rise

Drizzle the ball of dough with a little olive oil, then place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place for at least an hour, or up to two hours, until doubled in size.

Closely cropped overhead horizontal image of a lightly oiled ball of dough in a stainless steel mixing bowl, on a blue-gray surface.

Dough can be used immediately, or refrigerated until ready for use.

Step 4 – Shape and Bake

When you are ready to use it, split the dough ball in half.

Overhead horizontal image of einkorn pizza dough rolled out into a circle on a lightly floured countertop, with a marble rolling pin to the right.

Stretch out each half and roll it out onto parchment paper until each piece forms a 9-inch-round crust. Flour your hands and rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking as you roll it out.

Horizontal image of a homemade pizza topped with red sauce, shredded cheese, sliced onions and red bell pepper, and pepperoni, on a metal pan, ready to go in the oven.

Add your favorite sauce, shredded cheese, and toppings, and bake for 15-20 minutes at 425˚F, or until cheese is melted and crust looks dry and begins to brown lightly around the edges.

How Hot Should the Water Be to Activate the Yeast?

This is a question I get a lot when making a yeasted dough. Whenever an ingredients list asks for warm water, just how warm should that water actually be to activate the yeast?

You want the water to be warm, but it shouldn’t burn you when you touch it. I like to use a thermometer to measure the temperature so that I get it right. Using water that’s too hot or too cold means your dough won’t rise. And you don’t want that!

The temperature should register between 105˚F and 110˚F in order for the active dry yeast to activate properly. Any cooler, and it might not wake up and do its job. Any hotter, and you risk killing it off.

Horizontal overhead image of a pepperoni, onion, and bell pepper pizza on a round metal pan with a wheel cutting tool to the right, and two more pieces on blue and white plates to the left, on a gray surface with a red cloth.

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Have you baked with einkorn flour before? Tell us in the comments below. And be sure to rate the recipe after you try it!

For more homemade pizza crust ideas, try these recipes next:

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on October 30, 2012. Last updated on November 6, 2019. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Meghan Yager

Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.

15 thoughts on “Crispy Einkorn Pizza Crust with Kefir”

  1. This has made me realise that I’ve completely got out of the habit of treating birthdays (both my own and others) like a special day; I love how your family celebrates and treats each one like the occasion that it should be. I can definitely learn from that!

    I stumbled across your spelt pizza crust the other day and put it on my ‘to make’ list and this post has made me realise that I need to make it sooner rather than later. So delicious.

    Reply
    • Kathryn, Please try it. And if you do, let me know what you think! I’d love to hear if other people love it as much as we do. : )

      Reply
  2. this post makes me want to celebrate birthdays everyday, which i guess really means celebrate Life everyday. happiest of birthday wishes to your brother who sounds just so swell!

    Reply
  3. What a lovely Birthday celebration! One of these days, when I can tolerate grains again, I’m going to make this Einkorn pizza. Looks divine!

    Reply
  4. Having siblings that you love spending time with is great…I always look forward to having mine visit and there is always a list of places to eat and drink that they would enjoy. Such a wonderful celebration! and the pizza!…Two loves of my life, pesto and pizza…so the combination is always a hit!

    Reply
  5. Your family sounds like a dream. I loved reading this and hearing about your birthday traditions. And now seeing that it’s lunch time in our parts all I’m thinking about is this pizza. Lovely post.

    Reply
  6. Lovely! This post made me call my little sister, who is a little fireball and celebration queen (and who also happens to live in Nashville!). and then made me contemplate if I could make pizza for dinner….Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  7. What a wonderful post! My older sister is the thing I miss most about CT [where I’m from]. Whenever I’m home, we plan our time around eating at all our favorite haunts and stuff ourselves silly.

    I love this post because I have a soft spot for birthdays. I have outstandingly bad luck with mine [beware the ides of march–Shakespeare wasn’t kidding!], so I try to make other peoples’ as special as possible. And, something has to be said for the feeling you get when you walk through a crowd on your birthday, sauntering through strangers with the secret that it’s your special day and they have no idea! When I’m tempted to be a grump, I try to put myself in check by treating every stranger I meet as if it’s their birthday [because it really could be!]

    Reply
  8. I just wanted to tell you again how much I enjoy reading what you write. I have Loved the pizza crust recipe you posted several years ago (the super forgiving one) and make it every Friday night for our family. It’s a hit! I must have missed the spelt crust somewhere along the line, but now I want to try it, too!

    Reply
  9. I am a first-time comment-er and long-time fan, and just wanted to thank you for this awesome pizza dough recipe. Made it yesterday (loving einkorn!) and it came out perfect. I didn’t roll mine quite as thin, but the bottom was still nice and crisp and it cooked perfectly. I also made the dough a few days in advance, then just stuck it in the fridge (when it came time to bake, I let it sit out for an hour or so before shaping). We did arugula pesto + butternut squash + goat cheese + mozzarella on one, and mushroom pesto + chicken + sauteed mushrooms + fontina on the other. So, so good. Next time I may try subbing in sourdough starter for the yeast, but I’m reluctant to mess with such a good thing. thanks again 🙂

    Reply
    • I love hearing that, Amanda, and hello! So glad you stopped by to comment. : ) This pizza crust is one of our staples and I love that you made it, too. Also, love that you’ve jumped on the einkorn bandwagon — we’re big fans. : )

      Reply
    • Hi Andrea! Given that this dough requires such a minimal amount of kneading, I don’t really see the value of doing it in a bread machine; I’m not sure it would be easier in the end. That said, people adapt recipes to bread makers all the time, so if you try this, please let me know how it goes!

      Reply

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