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Einkorn Pesto Pizza (Pizza Stone Method)

There’s nothing better than homemade pizza night—especially when it starts with a soft, flavorful einkorn pizza crust. This easy einkorn pesto pizza combines nutty, ancient-grain flour with grilled chicken, a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, and feta, plus a sprinkle of pine nuts for extra crunch. The result? A golden, crisp-edged pizza with a tender center and a bright, herby flavor that everyone will love.

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Why you'll love this einkorn pizza

Simple homemade dough: No complicated steps or stand mixer required—just mix, rise, and roll. Einkorn’s natural flavor does most of the work.
Crispy and golden: A properly preheated pizza stone gives you that irresistible crisp bottom and perfectly tender center.
Flavor-packed toppings: Creamy pesto, melty mozzarella, tangy feta, and buttery pine nuts come together for a fresh, herby bite in every slice.
Perfect for pizza night: Quick to make, family-friendly, and so much better than takeout.

Why bake einkorn pizza on a pizza stone

Pizza night just hits different when it’s baked on a pizza stone. The stone mimics a traditional wood-fired oven, distributing heat evenly for that perfectly crisp crust. As soon as the dough hits the hot surface, it begins to puff and cook instantly—creating a golden, crispy bottom (never soggy!) and a soft, chewy interior every time.

I know not everyone has a pizza stone on hand, but if you can invest in one, it’s truly a game-changer in the kitchen and this einkorn pizza recipe will be in your weekly dinner rotation.

The key perfect einkorn pizza crust is to place your pizza stone in the oven, then preheat your oven as hot as it can go —500-550°F—then let it continue heating for an additional 30 minutes after it reaches temperature. This extra time allows the stone to fully saturate with heat, which is the secret to that perfect crust. Once it’s ready, your pizzas bake fast—just 5–10 minutes—and dinner is served!

For those who want to enjoy einkorn pizza without a stone, try my Einkorn Pan Pizza Dough recipe instead. It bakes up softer, more like a pan-style crust, but still just as flavorful and delicious.

Ingredients needed for this einkorn pesto pizza

For the Dough:

Warm water (110–115°F) – Activates the yeast and helps it bloom properly, creating a light, airy crust.
Active dry yeast – The leavening agent that makes the dough rise and gives it a soft, chewy texture.
Granulated sugar – Feeds the yeast to help it activate and adds a touch of browning to the crust.
Avocado oil – Adds richness, tenderness, and helps create a crisp and chewy outer crust.
Fine grain sea salt – Enhances the flavor and helps strengthen the gluten structure in einkorn dough.
Einkorn all-purpose flour – The base of the dough; provides structure and a naturally nutty, slightly sweet flavor.
Extra einkorn flour (for kneading) – Prevents sticking and helps achieve the right dough consistency.
Cornmeal – Sprinkled on the pizza peel or parchment to keep the dough from sticking and add a subtle crunch to the bottom crust for that classic takeout style pizza.

For the Toppings

Pesto sauce – Adds rich, herby flavor and moisture as the base layer instead of traditional tomato sauce.
Mozzarella cheese – Melts beautifully for that classic, stretchy pizza topping.
Raw mild cheddar cheese – Adds sharpness and extra depth of flavor to balance the mild mozzarella.
Feta cheese – Brings a tangy, salty contrast that pairs well with pesto.
Parmesan cheese – Adds savory umami flavor and helps brown the top.
Pine nuts – Provide a buttery crunch that complements the pesto.
Red pepper flakes – Add a touch of heat to balance the rich and creamy flavors.
Grilled Chicken- Chop and grill chicken with a mix of salt, pepper and garlic herb seasoning for best flavor.

Tips

Preheat your pizza stone properly. Heat the stone at 500°F for at least 30 minutes after the oven beeps ready — this ensures a crispy bottom crust.

Use parchment for easy transfer.
Transfer the pizza onto the hot stone with parchment; remove it after 5 minutes of baking so the bottom crisps up perfectly.

Roll your dough out to about 14 inches—this gives you that ideal crust thickness: crisp on the outside, tender in the middle.

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Step By Step Directions-How to make einkorn pizza dough

Bloom yeast

Combine warm water (110-115 degrees F) with yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to activate yeast. Mixture should start to foam/bubble.

Combine into a dough

Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer (or use a bowl to mix by hand, shown below), Add the einkorn flour and salt. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the yeast mixture, followed by the avocado oil. Mix until everything is fully incorporated and no dry flour remains.

Knead dough

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface—or knead directly in the bowl. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of einkorn flour and knead until the dough is soft, supple, and slightly tacky, about 1 minute. May need to add a bit more flour if necessary. I typically use 10-20g which is between 2-3 tbsp of einkorn flour.

Transfer dough to let rise

The dough should be soft, supple and tacky, but not sticky. Grease a bowl, transfer the dough ball and cover to let rise for 1-2 hours or until almost doubled.

Cover and let rise

Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Let dough rise until almost doubled.

Roll out and make your pizza

Place your pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and shape it into a smooth ball. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface, Ideally you want it larger than 14 inches. Sprinkle it with cornmeal. Press the dough gently into the cornmeal so the bottom is coated, then sprinkle the top with flour and roll out the dough to about 14 inches in diameter—keep the center an even thickness, with the edges being slightly larger.

Make your pizza

Spread pesto sauce evenly over the rolled-out dough, leaving about 1 inch around the edge for the crust. Then begin to add your toppings, add your cheese, chicken, red pepper flakes etc.

Make your pizza

Carefully transfer the pizza (with the parchment) onto your pizza peel, then transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone. Bake for 5 minutes, then carefully slide out the parchment paper and continue baking for another 3-6 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Tip: For the best restaurant style crust, make sure your pizza stone is fully saturated with heat—allow it to continue heating for at least 30 minutes after your oven reaches 500°F.

Pro Tip

Once your pizza stone reaches 500°F, continue heating it for another 30 minutes. Pizza stones take time to fully absorb and hold heat, and a properly preheated stone is the secret to a perfectly crisp, golden crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where to buy einkorn flour?

With einkorn flour gaining popularity it has become much easier to source it locally at more grocery and specialty stores. I like the consistency of jovial einkorn flour. It typically weighs close to 120 grams per cup which makes it easy for beginners just getting started, especially if you aren’t actively using a scale to measure your flour.

I also, am a huge fan of farm2flour brand as it is freshly milled, within 7 days of being shipped to your house, it smells and tastes amazing, and I find it to be a better bang for your buck especially because you can subscribe or buy in bulk to avoid shipping costs. The more you buy, the better the price per pound. For instance, a 5lb bag of their einkorn is $3.40 per pound, compared to $5.12 per pound for the 2lb bag. I’ve found that ordering 30lbs at a time offers the best deal with free shipping on anything over $99.

Cooking with Einkorn flour is usually pretty straightforward, often being a 1:1 or sometimes a 1:1.25 replacement for regular all-purpose flour in most recipes, but there are some notable differences to keep in mind if your recipe isn’t producing the quality product you’d like. Einkorn flour is more dense than regular flour due to its low gluten content, it absorbs less fat and liquids than modern wheat flours and at a much slower absorption rate. The adjustment of liquid may be necessary in some recipes, especially those that require refrigeration.

Why do I need to use cornmeal?

You don’t have to use cornmeal, but it serves a few useful purposes, especially when baking pizza on a stone or steel. I also think it gives it that classic pizza crust, which is exactly what I want when I make homemade pizza dough.

Prevents sticking:
Cornmeal acts like tiny ball bearings under the dough. It keeps the bottom of your pizza from sticking to the parchment, peel, or pizza stone — especially important when working with wetter doughs (like einkorn, which tends to be stickier).
Adds a crisp texture:
As it bakes, cornmeal gives the bottom of the crust a slightly crunchy, toasty finish — the kind you get from good pizzerias.
Enhances flavor:
It adds a light nutty, corn flavor that complements the einkorn and helps the bottom brown nicely.

Why do I need to use parchment paper?

Why Use Parchment Paper:
Parchment paper helps prevent the dough from sticking to your counter, pizza peel, or pizza stone. Without it, your pizza can be difficult to transfer and may end up misshapen or torn, since einkorn dough tends to stick easily and is delicate to work with.

For best results, build your pizza right on the parchment paper, then slide the parchment onto your pizza peel and transfer it to the preheated stone.

Pro Tip: Bake the pizza on the parchment for the first half of the bake, then carefully remove the parchment once the crust has set. This lets the bottom finish baking directly on the hot stone for that beautiful, golden, crisp crust.

Do I have to use a pizza stone?

This recipe is designed for baking on a pizza stone. If you prefer a pan-style pizza, try my Einkorn Pizza Dough recipe, which includes instructions for the pan-cooking method.

Pizza baking stone vs pan

Pizza Stone