The incredible Barbara Elisi introduced me to the Sunrise Flour Mill in Minnesota, and they are growing heritage wheat. Modern wheats have evolved to make the process of farming and harvesting easier.  However, modern wheats can be difficult to digest.  Many people first look at gluten as the culprit, but often it's the type of wheat, or the chemicals used to process that wheat that cause the sensitivity.  

Barbara raves about them.  In addition to the heritage wheat that I purchased from them, we got to talking about pizza.  They make a flour that is similar in style, performance, flavor and texture to the Caputo 00 that many pizza makers depend upon.  Of course I bought their pizza flour and gave it a shot.  

I also started to veer away from the standard King Arthur Flour sourdough pizza recipe that I often use. The biggest difference is the addition of oil, and the change in flour. 

Ingredients:
241 grams fed sourdough starter
298 grams flour (I'm using the Sunrise Flour Mills Pizza flour)
100 grams hot tap water
20 grams Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon bread salt
1/2 teaspoon SAF Red Instant Yeast

I mixed the dough until it formed a ball and "cleaned up" the sides of the bowl in my mixer (about 5 minutes), then I kneaded the dough on the countertop (no flour or oil) with a bench scraper until I got a perfect "window pane."

Then I put the dough into an oiled dough bucket and let it ferment in the fridge for about 4 days.  I knew it was ready when it started to rise (That takes much longer with a cold ferment) and double in size.  It was bubbling like crazy in the warmth.  I couldn't wait to see it bake. 

I took the dough out and let it come to room temperature on the counter for about 3 hours (approx. 75F degrees).  

I preheated my pizza steel to 550F degrees for about an hour and a half.  Then I shaped my loaf and put my toppings on it.

What I noticed immediately about this crust is that it was much easier to shape.  I didn't have to worry about my dough stretching too fast, or unevenly - like I do with the other formula.  This was easy. 

 The dough gave me an even browning, a lovely texture and okay air holes in the crumb. What stood out the most was the flavor.  This dough is delicious!  The taste really makes this pizza crust a winner!! 

When I make Sourdough Pizza dough, I use King Arthur Flour's Sourdough Pizza Crust Recipe, but with one exception:  I use their Perfect Pizza flour in place of AP Flour.  It's such a lovely and versatile dough! I've made everything from deep dish pizza to rounds.  

Usually, I bake my pizzas on a steel that's pre heated at 500 degrees in my oven.  When I make a deep dish, I preheat my cast iron skillet on top of the steel, and then have everything ready to go so I can shape the pizza in the hot skillet.

Because I can't eat cheese, I will usually line the shaped dough with some quality extra virgin olive oil, then  some homemade heirloom tomato sauce (that's a blog for another day) and a medley of vegetables, depending upon what's in season.  I find that chicken sausage works great on these non-dairy pizzas.  So do olives and mushrooms.  


If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll slice some potatoes on a mandolin and line the bottom of a pie with them (no sauce on those) and build from there.  


Here are a few variations: