Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

So, (Have you noticed I like to say that word a lot?) after enjoying my absolutely amazingly delicious pizza last night, I felt like I would be doing you a huge disservice if I didn't post about it today. This isn't a new recipe, well it is slightly altered from my original pizza crust recipe already on the blog. Why? Because it's whole wheat. Even if you are anti whole wheat, which I don't know how anyone could be because it is so healthy and so yummy, you still need to make this pizza dough. Again, let me reiterate, if you've never made your own pizza dough, you need to. You'll never order another pizza or buy the frozen stuff again. I promise you, because I haven't since I made this recipe many months ago. So, here it is, in all it's yumminess.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

adapted from the Pioneer Woman

*Makes enough for 2 pizzas

Ingredients:
1 tsp. or 1/2 packet active dry yeast
4 cups King Arthur's Whole White Wheat Flour (You could also use half whole wheat and half all purpose.)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Directions:

Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. *

Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer (or stand mixer-using the paddle attachment) on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated.

In a separate bowl, gently stir the yeast/water mixture and then drizzle it into the flour/oil mixture; mix until the dough forms a ball (you can also mix by hand until the dough comes together). If your mixture is too dry, add more water or olive oil about a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together and forms a ball.

Drizzle a little olive oil into a clean bowl. Toss the ball of dough in the bowl and turn over to coat in oil. (I use the same mixing bowl.)

Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel and set in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

*If you're using Instant yeast, you can mix the yeast with the flour and salt mixture before adding the oil and water. Just mix it for about 30 seconds, and then drizzle in your oil and warm water. Sometimes it's nice to not have to use an extra bowl just for the yeast!

To prepare pizza, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the dough in half. Lightly drizzle olive oil on a pizza pan or rimmed baking sheet.

Using your hands, stretch the dough to the desired shape, pressing the dough into the pan with your fingers. The thinner the better!

Lay the desired toppings over the dough and bake the pizza for 12-15 minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden brown.


The other half of the dough may be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days before use, or frozen for up to 6 months. I usually just pop mine in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze. It thaws quickly and tastes just as it did when I baked it immediately.

I usually use store bought pizza sauce, it is pretty good and very cheap. I use red sauce on one side with whatever toppings hubby wants, and on the other side I make what is called an alternative or white pie type of pizza. This is my favorite type of pizza because I don't like red sauce that much. I miss the alternative pizza from Memphis Pizza Cafe, oh how I miss it! You can click here for that recipe.