How to Make 100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Try this recipe for making 100% whole wheat pizza dough.
Try this recipe for making 100% whole wheat pizza dough.
- Carbohydrate 171.748678999834 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 7.78934087177315 g
- Fiber 27.8104613997916 g
- Protein 31.2164119064494 g
- Saturated Fat 1.21937411519925 g
- Serving Size 1 1 dough (10 slices) (239g)
- Sodium 13.6863862707057 mg
- Sugar 143.938217600042 g
- Trans Fat 1.32541579882079 g
- Calories 828 calories
Step-by-step
- First start by making the crust: In a large bowl of an electric mixer, mix almond milk, yeast, honey and olive oil together. Let it sit for a few minutes; you will know your yeast has activated if it begins to foam and bubble after a few minutes. If it doesn’t start to foam or bubble, start over as this is critical to making good dough.
- After just a few minutes, mix in whole wheat pastry flour, cornmeal and salt with a wooden spoon. Place dough hook on mixer and knead dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball and be slightly sticky. (If you don’t want to use an electric mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes.)
- Next place dough in a medium bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 1-2 hours or until dough has doubled in size. It’s better if it’s in a slightly warm place. Sometimes I turn on my oven to 180 degrees, then turn it off and place the pizza dough bowl in there with the oven door slightly ajar. This helps create a warm environment.
- Once the dough has risen you have a couple options: do it pan pizza style or roll it out in a 13 inch circle.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- To bake in a pan, grease 11x9 or 8x12 inch baking sheet generously with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with a little cornmeal. Dump dough onto the oil rimmed baking sheet, and stretch dough out towards the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for another 20 minutes. It’s okay if it doesn’t stretch all the way to the edges right way, it just needs a little time to rest. After dough rests, pull again towards the edges of the pan so that it forms a nice small crust. Brush crust with a little olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove, add toppings and bake again for another 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
- To bake as a circle: roll out dough onto surface dusted with cornmeal. Roll or stretch the dough into a large 13 inch circle. Lift up the edges and fold them over to create a crust. Brush crust with olive oil. Top as desired then bake for 15 minutes or until crust is golden.
My Love Affair with Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
As a busy working mom, finding time for anything beyond the bare necessities can feel like a Herculean task. But there's one thing I refuse to compromise on: feeding my family delicious, wholesome meals. And that's where my passion for baking, especially pizza dough, comes in. I know it may sound like a lot of work to make homemade pizza dough, but trust me, once you've tasted the difference between homemade and store-bought, you'll never go back. There's a comforting simplicity in the process, a connection to the food that's hard to replicate. The aroma of baking pizza dough fills my kitchen with warmth and family, reminding me of simpler times and creating new cherished moments.
Initially, I leaned heavily on convenience, relying on store-bought dough. It was quick, easy, and let's be honest, perfect for those nights when exhaustion threatened to take over. But somewhere along the way, a quiet voice within me whispered, "You can do better." That voice, fuelled by a desire to improve not just my family's diet, but also their eating experience, led me on a journey to master the art of whole wheat pizza dough. The journey wasn't always smooth. There were flat, unleavened disasters; there were crusts so dense they resembled hockey pucks. But through each trial and error, I learned; each imperfect pie was a lesson, pushing me closer to achieving the perfect, fluffy, golden-brown crust.
This recipe, perfected over countless evenings, is a testament to the transformative power of patience and perseverance. It represents more than just a recipe; it's a symbol of my commitment to wholesome living, nourishing my loved ones not just with food, but also with my love and care. It's my little act of rebellion against processed foods, a subtle act of defiance against convenience at the expense of quality. It's a way for me to express my love – one perfectly crisp, wholesome crust at a time.
The ingredients are simple, readily available, and speak for themselves – whole wheat pastry flour, the star of the show, adds that delightful nutty flavor and wholesome goodness. Almond milk contributes a unique richness, and a touch of honey adds a subtle sweetness that complements the earthy tones of the whole wheat flour. The process, while involving a few steps, is genuinely straightforward, and the reward is well worth the effort. Seeing my children's faces light up with joy as they bite into a slice of my homemade pizza, knowing the care and love I poured into every stage, is the most satisfying feeling a mother can experience.
What sets this recipe apart, beyond the rich flavor and wholesome ingredients, is its versatility. It works wonderfully for pan pizzas, those rustic, thick-crust delights; or it can be stretched into a classic thin-crust pizza for those who prefer a lighter bite. I often adapt the recipe to our whims, sometimes adding rosemary and sea salt for a more Mediterranean feel, other times incorporating sun-dried tomatoes and olives for a burst of Italian flavors. The possibilities are endless, limited only by your culinary creativity and the contents of your fridge.
Making pizza dough is more than simply following a set of instructions; it’s an adventure, a journey into the heart of wholesome cooking. It’s a testament to the simple joys of home, to the love shared around a table, and to the power of nourishing our bodies and souls with the food we create. I invite you to embark on this culinary adventure with me. Try this recipe, adapt it to your taste, and discover the magic of creating something truly special from humble ingredients.
More than just a recipe, it's a ritual. It's a time for me to disconnect from the demands of the day and reconnect with the simple pleasure of creating something delicious and nutritious for my family. The rhythmic kneading of the dough, the gentle rise, the satisfying aroma of baking – these are the small moments that make up the fabric of our lives, the moments that remind us of what truly matters. I hope you'll find the same joy and fulfillment in making this whole wheat pizza dough as I have.
