Unlock the Secret to Perfect Whole Wheat Pizza Dough for Healthier, Tastier Slices!

For those seeking a healthier and more flavorful pizza experience, whole wheat dough presents an excellent alternative to traditional white flour crusts. This article explores the nuances of creating a delicious whole wheat pizza dough, offering a comprehensive guide for both novice and experienced bakers.

Why Choose Whole Wheat?

Whole wheat flour offers a distinct nutritional advantage over its refined counterpart. Being a whole grain, it retains the bran and germ, which are packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Beyond the health benefits, whole wheat flour boasts a unique flavor profile. It imparts a nutty, earthy, and slightly sweet taste to the dough, adding complexity to your pizza.

The Key to a Great Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Many people are put off by whole wheat pizza dough, often describing it as dense, bland, or crumbly. The key to success lies in understanding how whole wheat flour behaves and adjusting the recipe accordingly. This recipe yields a soft, flavorful crust that is anything but ordinary.

Ingredients You'll Need

You likely have most of the ingredients for a wholesome whole-wheat pizza crust already in your pantry. Here's a breakdown:

Whole wheat flour: The star of the show! Choose a good quality whole wheat flour for the best flavor and texture.
Instant yeast: Instant yeast is preferred for its convenience and speed, as it can be added directly to the dry ingredients without prior activation.
Water: Hydration is crucial for whole wheat dough, as the flour absorbs more liquid than white flour.
Extra virgin olive oil: Adds flavor and contributes to a softer, more supple dough.
Honey: A touch of honey provides sweetness, complements the nutty flavor of the whole wheat, and feeds the yeast.
Salt: Enhances the flavor and controls the yeast activity.
Cornmeal and all-purpose flour (optional): If using a pizza peel, these prevent the dough from sticking.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make and Rest the Dough

Mix the dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, yeast, and salt. Pour in the warm water, olive oil, and honey (if using). Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough starts to come together.
Knead the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Shape the dough into a ball. (Alternatively, knead the dough in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook on low speed for about 4 minutes.) The dough will be a bit sticky while you’re kneading it, but you’ll be rewarded with a soft, chewy crust that is never dry or tough.
Let the dough rise: Lightly grease the mixing bowl with olive oil and set the ball of dough in the bowl. Cover and leave it in a warm spot to rise for 30 to 45 minutes, or until nearly doubled in size.

2. Top, Bake, and Enjoy!

Get ready to bake: Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). If you’re using a pizza peel, place a pizza stone on a rack in the oven to preheat.
Prevent sticking: If you’re using a pizza peel, lightly dust with all purpose flour and cornmeal. Or coat a baking sheet or large cast iron skillet with a thin layer of olive oil.
Stretch the dough: Set the dough on your chosen surface and stretch into a circle about 12 to 14-inch in diameter. (Alternatively, divide the dough in half for two smaller pizzas.) With the palms of your hands, press the dough outward from the center into a rough circle. You can pull and stretch the dough from the edges to spread the dough further. To form the crust, leave the edges of the dough slightly thicker than the middle.
Add the toppings: Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil. Add your favorite sauce and toppings.
Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C) and bake: If you’re using a pizza peel, carefully shimmy it and slide the pizza off onto the baking stone. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are cooked. For a cast iron or baking sheet, set in your oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Slice and serve: Transfer the pizza onto a cutting board or pizza plate.

Tips for Success

Water Temperature: Use warm water (around 105-115°F or 40-46°C) to activate the yeast.
Kneading: Knead the dough thoroughly to develop the gluten, which gives the crust its structure and chewiness.
Rising Time: The rising time may vary depending on the temperature of your environment. Be patient and allow the dough to double in size.
Shaping: Gently stretch the dough to avoid tearing it. If it resists, let it rest for a few minutes before continuing.
Baking: Preheat your oven thoroughly for a crispy crust.

Alternative Baking Methods

If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can still make delicious pizza at home. Cast-iron skillet or sheet pan are good alternatives.

Cast-iron skillet: Use a large cast-iron skillet, 9-inch for 2 pizzas, 10-inch for one thick-crust pizza, or 12-inch for one standard pizza. Very lightly coat the inside of the skillet with olive oil. Set the dough in the pan and gently stretch it to the edges of the pan or the desired thickness.
Sheet pan: Drizzle the pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and use a brush or your hand to coat the pan evenly. Spread the dough into a 9×13-inch rectangle, or to your desired thickness.

The pizza will take slightly longer to bake and the outside of the crust won’t crisp up as well. Depending on your oven and the size of the pizzas, you may need to adjust the baking time.

Variations and Additions

Beer dough: Beer gives the dough a richer flavor, imparting some of the yeast flavors that would develop in a dough with a longer fermentation time but without the wait.
Overnight dough: For an extra flavorful dough with a stronger tang, let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. After kneading, cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough overnight or for up to 24 hours. The slow rise gives the pizza dough wonderful flavor! If it needs to be in the refrigerator for longer, use cooler water in the dough which will slow the dough’s rise and allow for more time.
Garlic/Herbs: For extra flavor, you can add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 chopped garlic clove to the dough when you add the salt. You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme or an Italian seasoning blend when you add the salt. I usually add 1 chopped garlic clove on top of the shaped dough after brushing it with olive oil (step 7), then I add desired pizza toppings on top of the garlic.

Topping Ideas

Pizza dough is essentially an empty canvas. There’s no limit for pizza toppings, from a simple pizza Margherita to a loaded veggie pizza, or even a Nutella dessert pizza.

Veggies: Artichoke hearts, black olives, tomatoes, pickled red onion, baby spinach, bell pepper, the sky’s the limit.
Pictured Pizza Toppings: Sprinkle dough with 1 minced garlic clove, spread with 1/3 cup (about 80g) pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought), 6-8 ounces shredded and/or thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (I used a combination totaling 7 ounces), 1 sliced plum tomato, and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and Italian seasoning blend. When the pizza came out of the oven, I added a handful of chopped fresh basil.
It’s fantastic in place of regular dough in pesto pizza and BBQ chicken pizza.

Serving Suggestions

Throw a pizza party! Start with a big bowl of salad, like this Big Easy Italian Salad. Browse all Mediterranean recipes.

Freezing Instructions

This recipe yields just under 2 lbs of dough, which is enough for two 12-inch pizzas. After the pizza dough rises and you divide the dough in half (step 5), you can freeze one of the balls of dough to make pizza at a later time. Or you can simply freeze both balls of dough separately. Lightly coat all sides of the dough ball(s) with nonstick spray or olive oil. Place the dough ball(s) into individual zipped-top bag(s) and seal tightly, squeezing out all the air. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen pizza dough in the refrigerator for about 8 hours or overnight. When ready to make pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to rest for 30 minutes on the counter.

Bread Machine Method for Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Here’s a foolproof bread machine recipe for whole wheat pizza dough. There’s no extra rise time or pre-baking needed.

Add the ingredients in the order that your bread machine recommends. Most machines will tell you to add the wet ingredients first then the dry and the yeast last. Make sure the dough hook and pan is sitting securely in place! I’ve made the mistake of not seating the pan completely and that causes the machine to not mix the ingredients.

Place ingredients, in order, into the bowl of a bread machine. Select dough cycle and let the bread machine do it's thing. Once the dough cycle is complete, roll out dough onto a floured surface and divide dough in 2. This recipe can make one very large thick crust pizza or 2 regular crust pizzas. You can freeze the dough by simply wrapping in plastic wrap, then wax paper and storing in a large freezer bag. To use, thaw completely. An hour before using, let it come to room temperature in a bowl covered in plastic wrap.

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