Whether you're on a high-fiber, low-refined-carb diet for health reasons or just looking to incorporate more whole grains into your regular meals, this whole wheat pizza dough recipe is sure to satisfy.
There are a lot of "whole wheat pizza dough" recipes out there on the web, but many of them aren't true to their name, containing a mix of white and whole wheat flours. And though recipes like that are fine if you're just trying to eat more whole grains, they aren't very helpful if you need to avoid refined carbs due to an illness or chronic condition like heart disease or diabetes.
This whole wheat pizza crust recipe is the real deal. It contains no white flour, very little salt and refined sugar, and just a touch of oil. If you're also restricting your fat and refined sugar and salt intakes due to a serious health condition, stick with the type of oil your doctor/nutritionist recommends and use the minimum amounts of sugar and salt*. If your diet is less restrictive, go for maximum flavor with extra-virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1½ teaspoons salt.
100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or dough whisk
- Large bowl with lid
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups whole wheat flour plus 1 to 3 tablespoons if needed
- 1 packet instant dried yeast (a.k.a. quick-rise yeast)
- .5 to 1 teaspoon sugar
- .5 to 1.5 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or other oil of choice
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 1.5 cups warm water
- Nonstick cooking spray or oil for greasing the bowl
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the oil, honey, and warm water, and mix with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until the dough comes together. Continue mixing with your hands, squeezing the dough through your fists, until all the flour is incorporated. If the dough seems too wet and sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading after each addition, until the dough is easier to work with. (It will be softer than typical white flour pizza dough, but it shouldn't stick to your hands.)
- Coat the inside of a large lidded bowl with cooking spray, or drizzle it with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat it in the oil. Cover the bowl with the lid (or plastic wrap, if you don't have a bowl with a lid) and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until it has doubled in volume and you can see little bubbles on the top.
- Dust your work space with whole wheat flour. Take the dough out of the bowl, divide it into 2 equal-size balls, and place them on the floured work space. (Or, you can place each ball in its own freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze it for up to 3 months.) Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap or an upside-down bowl (I use the same one the dough rose in). Let the dough balls rest until they puff up a bit, 15 to 20 minutes, before rolling/stretching for pizza.
*Disclaimer: None of the advice given in this post is to be considered as medical advice. Please do not make any changes to your lifestyle or diet without discussing it with your doctor.
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