whole wheat pizza dough

We make pizza every weekend.  We love it.  My kids get their own pizza and I make one specifically for my husband and I.  It works great because then we always have left overs for lunch, which makes the weekend so much less hectic.  I have had this whole wheat pizza dough recipe for years, but I always tend to make my favorite dough, or if I haven't planned ahead well enough, this no-rise dough.  We are trying to be healthier, so we finally tried it.  My friend Erin gave me the recipe, so I knew it would be good, but I can honestly say, that this was beyond good!  I couldn't believe whole wheat dough could taste like this!  It has a great texture and wasn't too dense (like I thought it might be). You won't be disappointed!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Printable Recipe

1 Tbs yeast                                                      

1 tsp honey

1 cup plus 2 Tbs warm water, divided    

1 Tbs oil

1 tsp salt                                                          

2 1/2 -3 cup whole wheat flour (can use white)

cornmeal

Soften yeast in 2 Tbs water in the mixing bowl of a standing mixer, or a large mixing bowl.  In about 5 minutes, once yeast has proofed, add remaining 1 cup water, salt honey, and oil and 3 cups flour.  Using the dough hook, knead for 5 minutes.  (if you are not using a standing mixer, add only 2 cups flour and mix with a wooden spoon until dough becomes too hard to manipulate.  At that point, turn dough on to a well floured surface and knead in remaining flour is necessary to make smooth dough.  Continue to hand knead 5-10 minutes)

If using a standing mixer, remove dough from mixing bowl (so top surface is greased to prevent drying), cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm spot a minimum of 2 hours or as long as 10 hours (although I have never left it that long, so I don’t guarantee the results)

When you are ready to assemble the pizza, punch down the dough in to two 8 inch circles.  The crust should be about ¼ inch thick. As you roll the dough, turn it over several times to make shaping easier.  Place on a preheated pizza stone dusted with cornmeal or on a baking sheet.   

Using your fingers, push dough from the center toward the edge to thin the bottom crust and provide a thick rim around the circle. 

Bake with toppings at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.  (To check for dough doneness, you can lift the pizza with a spatula and touch the bottom of the pizza crust with your finger to make sure it’s not still doughy) 

Note: I use this crust for any pizza with tomato based sauce.