Spent grains are the leftover malt (grains) after most of its sugars, proteins, and nutrients have been extracted. The spent grains can make up over 80% of a brewery’s total by-product. Conscientious brewers like Scott Smith, owner of East End Brewing Co. makes sure that his spent grains are given a very useful (and delicious) second life. Scott sends his spent grains to 4 local farms: 2 dairy, 1 hog, and 1 chicken. He also gives them out to local beer bloggers who want to incorporate it in their cooking (If you ask very nicely, he may be extra generous and hook you up too). If you are a homebrewer– you’re definitely in luck because you’ll have an ample supply of these flavorful nuggets. We found that one of the best ways to highlight spent grains is to throw them in a tasty pizza dough. The grains give the crust an awesome, chewy texture that is second to none. You gotta try this recipe out, I promise it’s time well spent.
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water (not hot- it will kill the yeast)
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup spent grain, wet
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried basil
- shredded mozzarella
- pizza sauce
Toppings (Pick what you love, we did…)
- fresh basil
- roma tomatoes
- hot pepper flakes
- parmesan cheese
Directions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine yeast with warm water. Let mixture sit for ten minutes (it should start to bubble and froth)
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and knead with a dough hook for 8-10 minutes on medium/low speed. (If you don’t having a standing mixer- mix the dough by hand in the bowl and transfer it to a clean, floured surface to knead by hand)
- Cover with a towel and let rest for 2 hours
- Punch down dough and spread it out on pizza stone (or pizza cooking sheet) and let rise again for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees
- Spread sauce, add cheese and other desired toppings (If you want fresh basil- add it to the pizza once cooking is completed)
- Bake for 14-20 minutes, or until crust is evenly browned on the bottom
Cheers N’at
D&T
Pennies, Pints, Pittsburgh
We are a husband & wife blogging team who loves beer, food, and Pittsburgh. We were both born and raised in the City of Bridges and now are proudly raising our own family here. Pittsburgh is going through a tremendous craft beer boom and we are beyond thrilled to be a part of it. We enjoy blogging about the local craft beer scene and also enjoy the challenge of effectively incorporating those local beers into some of our favorite recipes.
