Description
This whole wheat pizza dough recipe is easy to make, naturally sweetened with a hint of honey, and always so delicious. See notes below for stand mixer option.
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (105 to 110°F)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast*
- 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing the crust
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- cornmeal, for dusting
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. (See notes below for alternate stand mixer instructions.) In a large mixing bowl, briefly whisk together the warm water, honey and yeast until combined. Let the mixture rest for 5 to 10 minutes or until the yeast is foamy.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the white whole wheat flour, olive oil, salt and stir until a loose dough ball is formed. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it by hand for 5 minutes until smooth.
- Let the dough rise. Rinse out and dry the earlier mixing bowl, then mist the bowl with olive oil or non-stick spray. Form the dough into a ball, place it in the greased bowl, then cover the bowl with a damp towel or aluminum foil. Let the dough rise for 30 to 45 minutes, or until it has nearly doubled in size.
- Prep the oven (and pizza stone, if using). Heat oven to 450°F. If using a pizza stone, be sure to place the stone in the cold oven and to allow it to heat gradually. Alternatively, you can bake the pizza on a flat baking sheet, which will not need to be preheated.
- Roll out the dough. Turn the dough back out onto a floured surface and use your hands to flatten it into a round disk. Using your hands or a rolling pin, gently stretch the dough evenly into a 12- to 14-inch round for a thick-crust pizza, pinching the outer edges up slightly to form a rim. (Alternatively, you can cut the dough in half and roll it into two rounds for two thin-crust pizzas.)
- Add toppings. Transfer the crust to a large baking sheet that has been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. (Or if you are using a pizza stone, transfer the crust to a pizza peel that has been lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.) For an extra-golden crust, brush the outer rim of the crust lightly with olive oil. Add the sauce and toppings in the center of the pizza as desired.
- Bake. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven (or slide the pizza from the peel to the stone) and bake the pizza for 16-18 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are melted and cooked.
- Serve. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Water: I recommend double-checking the temperature with a thermometer to ensure that the yeast will properly activate. Also, if you would like to minimize the whole wheat flavor of the crust, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of orange juice for 2 tablespoons of the water. (Thanks to King Arthur Baking for the tip!)
Instant yeast: This is also labeled as rapid-rise or quick-rise yeast by some brands.
Pizza toppings: For the pizza above, I also added about 20 pepperonis, 1 small green pepper (diced), 1/4 of a red onion (thinly sliced), 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cup pizza sauce, and a few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes after baking.