{"id":82,"date":"2012-12-01T15:42:50","date_gmt":"2012-12-01T21:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bountifulfeast.wordpress.com\/?p=82"},"modified":"2022-05-19T10:59:40","modified_gmt":"2022-05-19T14:59:40","slug":"whole-wheat-pizza-dough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowlofdelicious.com\/whole-wheat-pizza-dough\/","title":{"rendered":"Whole Wheat Pizza Dough"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This whole wheat pizza dough<\/strong> is my go to for thick OR thin crust pizzas or calzones! It’s made with honey and olive oil<\/strong> and it’s not dry or cardboardy- it’s chewy, with a slightly nutty flavor<\/strong>, and perfect for any pizza recipe you want to make.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Whole<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What? A whole wheat pizza dough that isn’t dry and tastes like cardboard? Impossible you say? Nay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I, too, was a non-believer until I discovered this recipe. This pizza crust does the trick VERY well. It’s delicious and moist, slightly sweet and salty, and has just the right amount of chewiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two tricks to making whole wheat pizza dough that actually tastes great<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. The first trick is to add olive oil and honey<\/strong>– the oil helps moisten the dough and make it less sticky, which lessens the need for too much flour when you are kneading it and rolling it out, and the honey adds a sweet flavor to balance out the whole wheat.<\/li>
  2. The second is (don’t get mad at me!)<\/em> to NOT use 100% whole wheat flour<\/strong>. There, I said it. This dough is not 100% whole wheat. Man, it feels good to get that off my chest!<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \"Flattened,<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Why to use a combination of whole wheat and AP flour<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    OK here’s the thing. You can make a pizza dough out of all whole wheat flour (and if you do, make sure to use WHITE whole wheat flour, not regular whole wheat flour)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But you will be sacrificing taste. I don’t care what you say- it just doesn’t taste as good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I love pizza. Y’all, we had it right when we were kids… pizza is the best food. Hands down. If I’m going to go through the trouble of making pizza from scratch, I want it to taste good<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Because if it doesn’t… I know me… I’m probably just going to order an unhealthy take-out pizza rather than go through the work of making a mediocre pizza from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Plus, because of its higher gluten content<\/strong>, the addition of white flour makes the dough easier to handle- easier to knead, roll out, stretch, and rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I feel like a scratch-made pizza from home that uses some white flour is much healthier than any take-out you can get<\/strong>, so there you have it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I’ve given up on 100% whole wheat dough and have instead settled on a recipe that uses an almost 50-50 ratio of all-purpose and whole wheat flour. It’s delicious, and I’m never going back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (Here’s a recipe if you’re looking for a 100% whole wheat pizza dough<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to make whole wheat pizza dough<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    1. First, add 2 1\/4 tsp. yeast to 1 cup warm water and about one tablespoon of honey<\/strong> (I always go a little over on this- I like it a bit sweeter)<\/em>. Not only will the sweetness of the honey complement the nutty flavor of the whole wheat flour- it also helps activate the yeast, since yeast loves sugar. <\/li>
    2. Stir or whisk the yeast in until it dissolves<\/strong>, and let the mixture sit until it has foamed up and about doubled in size, for approximately ten minutes. I do this with my Pyrex measuring cup for easy pouring after it’s done.\"Photo<\/li>
    3. While the yeast is sitting, mix together the dry ingredients<\/strong>. <\/li>
    4. After yeast is done doubling, add to flour mixture as well as 1 tablespoon olive oil<\/strong>. The dough will be a bit sticky in the bowl. <\/li>
    5. Turn it out onto a well-floured surface<\/strong> (I recommend using all purpose flour for this since it’s ground a bit finer) <\/em>and knead, adding flour as necessary, until the dough is stretchy and elastic. It’s OK if it’s still a little bit sticky. Form a ball.\"Photo<\/li>
    6. Coat the inside of a large bowl with olive oil,<\/strong> add the ball of dough, turn it to coat in the oil, and cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel.<\/li>
    7. Place it in a warm, draft free area to rise for one hour<\/strong>. Room temperature is usually OK for this, but if you live in a cold climate and your house is drafty, here’s a good trick: turn your oven on for only a few minutes to get it warmed up, then turn it off. Place the bowl inside the oven- the warmth should stay in and help the dough rise effectively.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \"Ball<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      How many pizzas does this recipe make?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      This recipe makes one thick-crust pizza or two thin-crust pizzas of approximately 12″ in diameter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      After it’s done rising, you can divide it into two balls (if you like thin crust)<\/em>. At this point, you can refrigerate or freeze the dough until you are ready to make pizza. Just take it out about an hour ahead of time so it can come to room temperature- it will be impossible to roll out cold dough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Tips for rolling out and making the pizza<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      When you are ready to make pizza, I recommend spreading a mixture of cornmeal and all purpose flour out on the surface of your counter to roll it out<\/strong>. This will ensure the crust doesn’t stick, so you can easily transfer it to the oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I recommend using a cast iron pizza pan<\/a> to make pizza at home<\/strong>. Get the pan nice and hot in the oven while it preheats, and then slide the prepared pizza onto the hot pan using a pizza paddle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Or, for an easier way to use your dough, use a sheet pan to make a homemade sheet pan pizza<\/a>. You can use the whole batch of dough for one large pizza and the whole family can add whatever toppings they want!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Homemade pizza recipes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n