All Stone-Ground Pizza Dough, Southern Ground

A Word about Pizza and Cold-Milled Stone-Ground Flour

Using exclusively cold-milled stone-ground flour in pizza dough can certainly result in exceptional pies—crisp and chewy—but expect a deeper flavor in the crust and perhaps not quite as much light, open crumb. Pizza dough made from stone-ground flavor-forward flours can influence one’s choice of toppings, perhaps opting for a simpler selection of toppings that further accentuate instead of overshadow the flavor of the crust.

In the following pages I have included two pizza dough recipes: the first, Michael Matson developed while he was with Folk in Nashville (see this page), and the second from Gregory Seymour of Pizzeria Gregario in Safety Harbor, Florida (see this page). There are similarities between the two recipes, but where they diverge demonstrates each baker’s choice and vision for their particular pie.

Shelter-in-Place Pizza

These were the last recipes I tested for this book. I’m not a pizza maker and was intimidated by the task at hand until my husband, Scott, suggested we do this together. Scott actually co-owns and runs a wood-fired pizza restaurant, West First Wood-Fired, in downtown Hendersonville, North Carolina, so I was in good hands. He was home from work because we all were. The whole country was sheltering in place. Our ingredients were limited to what we already had in the kitchen. We topped our pizzas with a quick tomato sauce (see sidebar on this page), fresh mozzarella, anchovies, capers, and, once out of the oven, fresh arugula.

The following is a basic method for making a pizza once your dough is ready.

Place a pizza stone on the upper rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F (or as high as your oven will allow). We happened to have had a stack of firebrick (because Scott had just done some repairs to his oven at West First) so he filled two baking sheets with firebrick and placed one on the lowest rack of the oven and the other on the upper rack, about 8 inches from the broiler, where we actually baked our pizza. Because of the density of the firebrick, he preheated the oven for 2 hours. With a pizza stone, you just need to preheat the oven for 1 hour (similar to a Dutch oven, though on the upper rack for pizza.)

If you’re using the All Stone-Ground Pizza Dough (this page), pull it from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you are ready to bake and set it on the counter.

Flour your work surface and lightly flour the top of your dough. Gently transfer the dough to your work surface, being careful not to de-gas it as you transfer it. Cup your hands around the dough to gently reshape it into a round (if it has lost some of its roundness). Using the pads of your fingers, start to flatten the dough, keeping the edges thicker and being careful not to make the center too thin. Rotate the dough as you simultaneously gently press down and stretch out, using the pads of your fingers at first and then, as the dough increases in size, using the outer edge of your hands.

If you have a pizza peel, flour the peel and then scoop up the dough onto your peel. (If you don’t have a peel—as we, ironically, did not—just use the back of your hands to transfer the dough onto a floured rimless baking sheet.) Build your pie with the dough on the peel (or baking sheet).

In building your pie, go easy on the toppings. Spread your sauce to about ½ inch to 1 inch from the edge. Distribute your toppings evenly, being careful not to pile too much in the very center of the dough, as you risk ripping a hole in the dough when you transfer it to the stone. Less is more when balancing the flavor elements of stone-ground flour along with its reduced tensile strength.

Transfer the pizza from the peel (or baking sheet) onto the hot pizza stone and bake until the crust is browned and the topping is bubbling. Ovens vary greatly, but expect no more than 10 minutes of baking time. (We found success with baking at 500°F for a little more than 5 minutes and then switching the oven to broil for a final 3 minutes.)

Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cooling rack for a minute or two before transferring to a cutting board to slice and serve.

Quick and Simple Tomato Sauce

2 cups canned or jarred whole plum tomatoes (we prefer Jovial brand organic tomatoes)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Puree the tomatoes with an immersion blender. Add the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the oregano.

All Stone-Ground Pizza Dough

Folk ◆ Nashville, Tennessee

Michael Matson developed this pizza dough with the goal of creating a dough that used 10 percent cold-milled stone-ground flour. His choice of whole white wheat for his leaven and as a small percentage of the flour in the dough provides tooth without the added bitter undertone that the tannins in whole red wheat express, contributing a butteriness in flavor instead.

yield: enough dough for 6 (12-inch) pizzas

leaven

76g water

15g starter

76g whole white wheat bread flour

dough

585g water

151g leaven

843g 75-extraction bread flour

44g whole white wheat flour

27g fine sea salt

Make the leaven: Measure the water into a small clear container with a lid, such as a 1-pint mason jar, then add the starter. Using a spoon or your fingers, break apart the starter into the water. Add the flour and mix until fully incorporated. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours or more, until fully developed (see image on this page).
Make the dough: Measure the water into a large bowl, then add the leaven and dissolve it in the water, breaking it apart with your fingers. Add both flours and mix until fully incorporated (according to Step 1 on this page). Cover with a cotton or linen kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 45 minutes.
Sprinkle the salt evenly over the dough and then fully incorporate it into the dough (according to Step 2 on this page). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the dough to a container with a lid.
Bulk ferment the dough: During bulk fermentation, apply a series of stretch and folds to the dough (according to Step 3 on this page) every 45 minutes for 3 hours—four series of folds total. With each stretch and fold, you should feel the dough develop in strength and structure. After the final fold, cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rise, undisturbed, until it has increased in volume and feels billowy.
Divide and preshape: Turn the dough out onto your work surface and fold it over itself. Divide it into six equal pieces weighing about 275 grams each. Preshape one portion of the dough at a time: Using a bench knife or your hands, drag the dough across the work surface to create surface tension while shaping it into a tight ball. Place dough balls on a parchment-lined and floured baking sheet. Dust the dough with flour, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest for 2 hours, then transfer the dough to the refrigerator to proof for 6 to 8 hours.
Bake: Place a pizza stone on the upper rack in a cold oven. Preheat the oven to as hot as it will go for 1 hour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you are ready to bake.
Working with one portion of the dough at a time, follow the instructions on this page to shape the dough, top it, and transfer it to the pizza stone. Bake for 5 minutes and then switch to broil for 2 to 3 minutes. You want to see the crust browned and the topping bubbling. If the crust seems like it needs a little more time after 3 minutes on broil, switch back to bake. Ideally, total bake time should be no more than 10 minutes.
Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cooling rack for a minute or two before transferring to a cutting board to slice and serve.

Gregario’s Carolina Ground Pizza Dough

Pizzeria Gregario ◆ Safety Harbor, Florida

Pizzeria Gregario is an unexpected find in Safety Harbor, Florida. The pizzas are made with 100 percent cold-milled stone-ground flour, a portion of which the restaurant’s chef/baker/owner, Gregory Seymour, mills in-house, hand-sifts, and then blends with our flour. Walking into this small wood-fired pizza restaurant, one is greeted by a large sign spelling out his ethos. At the top, it reads: “Ingredients Matter.” A second sign lists his purveyors. And a third sign shows a chart of the costs of goods sold: In the far left column are his ingredients—flour, mozzarella, tomatoes, sausage, chorizo, prosciutto, bacon; the center column displays the national brands’ prices for these items; and the right column shows the prices from his purveyors. Total transparency.

Gregory is part chef, part mad scientist when it comes to pizza dough. He does two versions of his dough at his restaurant. One is made with a blend of heritage grains that he mills in-house and then hand-sifts to his desired extraction. And the second one, the one that we are providing here, is his more basic approach to a dough, although compared to most, it is hardly basic.

Khorasan wheat, otherwise known as Kamut, is an ancient relative of the durum wheat. It is a lovely spring wheat with a good amount of protein. Sadly, it is not grown in our part of the country, but Gregory’s choice is with intention. The Khorasan wheat provides added elasticity to his dough, along with a buttery flavor and inviting tooth. Using the Khorasan to build his leaven is helpful in the Florida heat, as the Khorasan develops at a more controlled pace (attributed to its higher protein count). The sifted spelt lends a nutty flavor and a delicate crumb.

yield: enough dough for 5 (12-inch) pizzas

leaven

23g water

5g starter

23g whole Khorasan wheat (Kamut) flour

dough

480g water

45g leaven

448g 75-extraction bread flour

122g sifted spelt (85) flour

70g whole Khorasan wheat (Kamut) flour

14g fine sea salt

Make the leaven: Measure the water into a small clear container with a lid, such as a ½-pint mason jar, then add the starter. Using a spoon or your fingers, break apart the starter into the water. Add the flour and mix until fully incorporated. Let stand at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours, until fully developed (see image on this page).
Make the dough: Once the leaven is fully developed, measure the water into a large bowl, then add the leaven and dissolve it in the water, breaking it apart with your fingers. Add the bread flour, spelt flour, and Khorasan flour and mix until fully incorporated (according to Step 1 on this page). Cover with a cotton or linen kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 45 minutes.
Sprinkle the salt evenly over the dough and then fully incorporate it into the dough (according to Step 2 on this page). Cover the bowl with a cotton or linen kitchen towel.
Bulk ferment the dough: Let the dough ferment at room temperature for 3 hours, stretching and folding the dough every 30 minutes (according to Step 3 on this page). After the final fold, cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rise, undisturbed, until it has increased in volume and feels billowy. Once the dough has risen sufficiently, transfer it to the refrigerator to proof overnight.
Preshape and final proof: Turn the dough out onto your work surface and fold it over itself. Divide it into five portions weighing about 225 grams each. Preshape one portion of the dough at a time: Using a bench knife or your hands, drag the dough across the work surface to create surface tension while shaping it into a tight ball. Dust the dough balls with flour, cover with a kitchen towel, and let proof at room temperature for 3 hours before shaping and topping.
Bake: Place a pizza stone on the upper rack in a cold oven. Preheat the oven to as hot as it will go for 1 hour.
Working with one portion of the dough at a time, follow the instructions on this page to shape the dough, top it, and transfer it to the pizza stone. Bake for 5 minutes and then switch to broil for 2 to 3 minutes. You want to see the crust browned and the topping bubbling. If the crust seems like it needs a little more time after 3 minutes on broil, switch back to bake. Ideally, total bake time should be no more than 10 minutes.
Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cooling rack for a minute or two before transferring to a cutting board to slice and serve.

Cornmeal Crackers

Ashley Capps ◆ Asheville, North Carolina

The combination of sourdough culture and cornmeal gives this cracker a cheeselike flavor, made even better when served with pimiento cheese, though they are quite addictive on their own, too. This recipe is a good use for extra sourdough culture, as it calls for such a small amount. The crackers are stretched windowpane thin and baked low and slow.

yield: about 30 crackers

125g (½ cup) warm water (90°F)

42g (3 tablespoons) milk, warmed (90°F)

56g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted

7g (1½ teaspoons) olive oil

½ teaspoon honey

20g (2 tablespoons) sourdough culture (see Note, this page)

225g (2 cups) 75-extraction bread flour

56g (⅓ cup) fine cornmeal, plus more for topping

1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more for topping

1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, stir together the water, milk, melted butter, olive oil, and honey. Add the sourdough culture and dissolve it in the liquid.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated and a dough forms.
Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment at room temperature for 1 hour, stretching and folding the dough every 30 minutes (according to Step 3 on this page).
Turn the dough out onto your work surface. Divide it into three pieces, weighing around 180 grams each. Preshape one portion at a time: Using a bench knife or your hands, drag the dough across the work surface to create surface tension while shaping it into a tight ball. Transfer all three balls of dough into a container with a lid. Cover the container, transfer to the refrigerator, and let proof overnight or for 24 to 36 hours.
The next day (or the following day), pull the dough from the refrigerator. Working with one portion at a time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to ½ inch thick to lengthen and stretch it—don’t force the dough or it will tear. Transfer the slab of dough to a piece of parchment paper and top with a second piece of parchment; cover with a kitchen towel to prevent a skin from forming. Repeat to roll out the remaining dough, stacking the slabs on top of each other, separated with parchment. Let rest, covered, for 1 hour to relax the gluten so that you can stretch the dough further.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Pick up a slab of dough and use rounded knuckles to gently tug and stretch it (see the photo on this page) as thin as possible. Place the dough on a baking sheet and use your fingers to pull and press the edges to thin out the dough as needed. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing each slab on a separate baking sheet.
Mist the sheets of dough with water and sprinkle the tops evenly with cornmeal and salt. Mist water again to hydrate the cornmeal and salt.
Bake one baking sheet at a time (depending on the size of your oven) for 25 to 35 minutes, until the crackers are evenly golden brown and crisp.
Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let cool, then break into shards as desired. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these crackers will keep for at least a couple of weeks.

Almond Cantucci

Anisette ◆ Raleigh, North Carolina

yield: about 15 cookies

240g (2 cups) 75-extraction bread flour

232g (1¼ cups) granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon baking powder

⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground anise seed

3 eggs

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

75g (½ cup) roasted almonds

Cantucci are cookies of Tuscan origin similar to biscotti, though their texture is a bit different from that of biscotti in that they have a chew to them. Like biscotti, cantucci are twice baked and are perfect for dunking into coffee or tea. Stored in an airtight container, they will keep for weeks. This recipe lacks butter or oil, which is traditional for this centuries-old cookie. The choice of bread flour in this application works well, as this rustic cookie is all about the tooth.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and anise and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.
Separate one of the eggs, placing the yolk in a medium bowl; set the egg white aside. Add the remaining two eggs and the vanilla to the bowl and whisk to combine. Add the egg mixture to the mixer bowl and mix on low until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix on low for 2 minutes. Add the almonds; mix on low for 2 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto your work surface. Divide it into two equal portions, weighing around 340 grams each. Form each portion into a 12-inch log. Place the logs on the prepared baking sheet with about 4 inches between them and brush them with the egg white.
Bake the logs for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then slice each log on an angle into 1-inch-thick cookies. Return the cookies to the baking sheet, cut-side down, and bake for 10 minutes more, or until golden. Transfer to a cooling rack. Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few weeks.

Breakfast Cookie

lydia stamm ◆ Asheville, North Carolina

Lydia Stamm, miller, queen of our online store, keeper of chickens, bees, dogs and cats, developed this cookie, inspired by a recipe she found while still in high school and continued to adapt over the years since. She explains, “I grew up reading cookbooks and baking for a large family, so I was always modifying recipes according to available ingredients and everyone’s dietary preferences. The sour cherries were added on a whim—we had many fruit trees and berry bushes, and we picked, pitted, froze, and cooked fruit all summer long. I took some out of the freezer, chopped them up, and added two kinds of chocolate. Since it was the low-fat ’90s, I was obliged to cut some of the butter with yogurt. Here, it makes for a magical consistency, soft, a little chewy, and a little cakey. Recently, I revisited this recipe when nothing was living up to my ideal oatmeal cookie. I often use bread flour in heartier cookies to get the structure I’m looking for, and I thought our Appalachian white whole-wheat bread flour would be a nice complement, with some crisp sturdiness and a mild flavor that wouldn’t overpower the fruit. The stone-ground flour and thick oats help soak up some of the moisture from the yogurt and berries and end up with just enough chewiness. I also added NC Malt flour for another hint of earthy flavor, but if you don’t have it, make these cookies anyway.”

Notes: If you omit the barley malt flour, you may need an additional 2 tablespoons bread flour.

Use tart (unsweetened) fruit such as cherries, raspberries, or cranberries. Although fresh fruit can be used, frozen fruit mixes in a little more easily without liquifying.

yield: 18 large cookies

300g (2⅓ cups) whole white wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

260g (1¼ cups), packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

120g (½ cup) plain yogurt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

340g (3½ cups) rolled oats

28g (2 tablespoons) barley malt flour (see first Note)

283g (10-ounce bag) dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao) chips or chunks

30g tart unsweetened frozen fruit (see second Note)

Preheat oven to 360°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, stopping frequently to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly. Add yogurt and vanilla, then stop and scrape down the bowl. Mix on high speed until fully incorporated and light in color, then stop and scrape down the bowl.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients all at once and mix until just incorporated, making sure that no streaks of butter are remaining and stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed—do not overmix. Add the oats, barley malt flour, and chocolate and mix on low speed just to combine. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the fruit.
Pack the dough into a ⅓ cup measure to scoop. Evenly space six cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies, up to 2 sheets at a time, for approximately 14 to 18 minutes, or until just slightly wet looking in the center. Check a few minutes early, as ovens vary and you don’t want to overbake these. Transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.
These cookies do not store well at room temperature because of the high moisture content, but they do store especially well in the freezer and are actually a lovely summer treat directly from the freezer. Once completely cooled, place in a single layer in a zip-top bag. Squeeze out any air and seal before placing in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ashley Capps ◆ Asheville, North Carolina

I am obsessed with this cookie. I was torn between putting this in the rye section or here in the wheat section because the recipe was originally written for rye and the flavors work so well with rye, but I have a love affair with our Appalachian White wheat and wanted to see how this cookie would work using that instead of the rye. I found that white wheat (whole grain) seemed to elevate this cookie even more (if that were even possible). It lends tooth and brightness, whereas rye is grassier and more tender. If you do choose to make this with rye, a medium-rye works well. Just reduce your baking time to 12 to 15 minutes.

Note: All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

yield: 3 dozen cookies

dough

360g (2¾ cups) whole white wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

212g (¾ cup + 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

190g (¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) light brown sugar

90g (½ cup) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons honey

2 eggs, at room temperature

30g (⅛ cup) milk, at room temperature

30g (⅛ cup) sour cream, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

170g (6 ounces) dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao), chopped into large chunks

56g (2 ounces) milk chocolate, chopped into large chunks

toppings

flaky sea salt

cacao nibs

chopped chocolate

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes, stopping frequently to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the honey, eggs, milk, sour cream, and vanilla, then stop and scrape down the bowl. Mix on high speed until fully incorporated and light in color, then stop and scrape down the bowl.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients all at once and mix until just incorporated, making sure that no streaks of butter are remaining and stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed—do not overmix. Add the chocolate and mix on low speed just to combine. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover, and refrigerate the dough overnight.
The next day, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon to scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies 1½ inches apart. Top the cookies with flaky salt, cacao nibs, and chopped chocolate as desired, pressing the toppings lightly against the dough to adhere. Then cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and put into the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour or longer.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Bake the cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

White Wheat Cake

Carolina Ground ◆ Asheville, North Carolina

Inspired by the flavors of a Sachertorte, with bitter chocolate, apricot jam, and almond extract and the texture of an Italian semolina cake, I originally developed this recipe using Khorasan (Kamut) wheat, but it has evolved to embrace the availability of North Carolina–grown Appalachian White wheat. If you live out west, Khorsan or White Sonora works well—whatever you have available to you. I chose to make this a small (7-inch) cake, because I find that I tend to only make large cakes for celebrations, but a small cake like this is a lovely dessert any time. To increase the size of the cake, just double the recipe and bake the batter in a 9-inch springform pan.

yield: 1 (7-inch) round cake

57g (¼ cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar

56.5g (¼ cup) unsalted butter

1 large egg, separated

2 heaping tablespoons apricot jam

104g (¾ cup) whole white wheat flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

82g (⅓ cup) buttermilk

¾ teaspoon almond extract

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

45g (1.5 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (at least 60% cacao), coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan with parchment paper cut to fit, then grease the pan and dust it with flour, tapping out any excess.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter on high speed until light and fluffy. Adjust to low speed and add the egg yolk and jam, then increase the speed and mix until fluffy.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Measure the buttermilk into a bowl and stir in the almond and vanilla extracts.
Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing only until incorporated after each addition. Add the chocolate and mix until just incorporated.
In a separate medium bowl, whip the egg white until it holds stiff peaks. By hand, gently fold the beaten egg white into the batter, then pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake until the cake springs back when you touch the center lightly and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool 5 to 7 minutes before removing from springform pan. Cool completely on cooling rack before serving.
Store covered in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days.