Happy Monday everyone! I apologize for being absent, but I’m back! My summer was quite busy and between working a lot and also trying to get in as much summer fun as possible, I didn’t just fall off the wagon, I got hit by it. Now that summer has almost come to an end, things can calm down slightly, which means more yummy and healthy recipes for your lovely faces! Now let’s talk about this pizza…

I’ve always been a fan of experimenting with different kinds of pizza crust recipes, from the traditional cauliflower crust to quinoa, butternut squash, zucchini and even eggplant crust recipes. However, I’ve never made a traditional pizza crust recipe because for starters I felt the process was way too lengthy, and I didn’t believe it could be healthy. After making this delight for my aunt yesterday, I will say that the first reason still stands because it took almost 4 hours to make, including the prep time and making the pizza sauce, but the second reason was completely thrown out the window!

This soft and chewy crust is made with light spelt flour 100% from scratch, topped with low sodium homemade pizza sauce, organic smoked turkey sausage (MSG free), organic mozzarella and cheddar cheese and fresh oregano. So enjoy! Moderation is the key.

Pizza Dough (yields enough for 2 13-inch pizzas)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp organic coconut palm sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water, 110 degrees, divided
3 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp white vinegar
3 1/2 cups light spelt flour

Sauce: (I used 2/3 a cup for topping)

1 small can organic crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp sea salt
2-3 tbsp raw honey
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch crushed chili peppers
Pinch ground cinnamon

Topping
2/3 cup pizza sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (1 oz)
4-5 smoked turkey sausages, sliced
2 Tbsp fresh oregano (chopped if using larger leaves)
Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

For the pizza dough:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 cup warm water and whisk until yeast has dissolved. Allow to rest 5 minutes. Add in remaining 1 cup warm water, olive oil, salt and vinegar.

Fit mixer with whisk attachment, set on low speed and slowly add in 1 3/4 cups of the flour and mix until combined. Switch to a dough hook and slowly add in remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, then knead mixture on medium-low speed about 5 – 7 minutes, adding in up to an additional 1/2 cup flour as needed, until dough is smooth and elastic (dough should be slightly sticky but should not stick to a clean fingertip).

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

For the sauce:

To make the sauce, add onions, garlic and seasoning to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until fragrant and the onions become translucent, 2-3 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes and honey if using and bring to the boil then lower heat and simmer, partly covered, for about 15-20 minutes, until sauce is thickened and all water has evaporated. Reduce to a fine puree with a stick blender, if desired. Set aside and grate your cheese.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and set a pizza baking sheet aside. While oven preheats assemble pizza. Punch down pizza dough (divide into two equal 16 oz portions, freeze one in a resealable bag for a later use or make 2 pizzas right away).

Place a sheet of parchment paper over a pizza peel, and then lightly dust parchment paper with flour. Pat/roll and stretch dough on pizza peel to a 13-inch round, while creating a rim along edge of dough. Using a fork (without piercing all the way through) pierce dough many times over surface. In a small bowl stir together 1 Tbsp olive oil with 1 clove garlic and brush evenly over top and edges of pizza, then evenly spread about 2/3 cup of the pizza sauce over pizza (leaving rim uncoated).

Top evenly with cheeses (again leaving rim uncoated). Carefully slide pizza (on parchment paper) onto the baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then bring out the pizza and top with smoked turkey slices. Slide the pizza back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes until crust is golden.

Remove the pizza from oven, sprinkle top with oregano and optional red pepper flakes. Cut into slices and serve.