Whole spelt pizza with arugula pesto and anchovies

I've been making pizzas all Winter long... always after dark. Then one day, there was still daylight after 5pm... And the first pizza that jumped in my blog was this one, with whole spelt, arugula, anchovies and brie.

Past months, I've been experimenting with using whole spelt flour, pushing it and pushing it till I can look in Julian's eyes and say I did my best (kind of, you know). The man is very interested in whole grains.  I'm too but he is more.

I also have discovered that pizza serves as a great base for anything I have too much of and have to use now. Like this box of arugula that would not be as green the next day. The pesto I made... probably not really PESTO, dressed my pizza beautifully. A couple of fillets of anchovies added a salty bite and brie, with its rich and mushroomy flavor, complemented the whole thing.

Recipe by Gray Apron (dough recipe adapted from Giallo Zafferano)
time: 20 min preparation + 2 hrs inactive + 2x12 min baking
makes 2 large pizzas

 ingredients 

pizza dough (2 pizzas)
150 g (1 cup) regular flour
280 g (2 1/3 cup) whole spelt
12 g (1/2 oz) fresh yeast
300 ml (2 1/4 cup) tepid water
5 g (1 teaspoon) sugar
12 g (1 1/2 teaspoons) salt
topping (for 1 pizza, the second one is always Margherita)
100 g (3.5 oz) arugula
120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
15 g (1/2 oz) Parmesan, finely grated
15 g (1/2 oz) Pecorino (or more Parmesan), finely grated
75 g (about 3 oz) brie, diced
9 - 12 anchovies fillet

 instructions 

to prepare dough:
In a small bowl, mix yeast, sugar and a 1/2 cup of tepid water (taken from the whole amount) with a fork or your fingers.

In a big cup, dissolve salt with the rest water. Add olive oil.

In a bowl of a standing mixer equipped with a needle attachment, sift in flours. With the mixer on "stir" incorporate the yeast mix (about 10 seconds). Pour in water/salt/oil mix. Continue kneading the dough for 10 minutes (on "stir") till smooth and elastic. 

Set the bowl with dough (covered with a cotton cloth) in a warm place, away from drafts, for 2 hours or till it doubles in size (I put mine in the oven turned off).

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 230C/450F ( bottom grill only) and brush two baking sheet with extra olive oil. 

Divide dough in half. On a rolling board lightly sifted with extra flour, roll and stretch each piece to fit your baking sheet. Place on your prepared baking sheet. 

to prepare pesto: In a food processor with steel blades, blend arugula, olive oil and cheeses till smooth.

to prepare pizza: Spread pesto on top of pizza dough, arrange anchovies and brie pieces. Set it in the hot oven for 10 - 12 minutes, till you see some browning of the crust.

 NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES

• I admit, I was afraid to try my pesto straight out of the blender, but it was OK and since anything you put on a pizza gets better, I left it "as is";
• anchovies had enough salt and bite to wake up the green paste;
• brie cheese - it doesn't burn as fast as fresh mozzarella, it melts beautifully, it actually has some taste and I can use less of it and still have a cheesy pizza; I prefer it in the cold months;
• about the flour - this time pizza was 70%, up from 0% and 50% whole spelt; the dough kneaded, rose, rolled, stretched, baked and tasted like it should.