Basic Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

By KimberlyB

Because an all whole wheat dough can be a little too dense, we suggest using hard white flour (or unbleached white) and half whole wheat. If you want to make it entirely out of whole wheat flour, be aware that the dough will not rise as high, making for a chewy crust.

Ingredients

• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (105 degrees F. to 115 degrees F.)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 3/4 cups hard white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a small bowl, add the sugar to the water and sprinkle the yeast on top. Stir to dissolve and let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the hard white flour with the wheat flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yeast mixture and the oil. Stir the flour into the well, beginning at the center and working slowly outward, until the flour mixture is incorporated and the dough just begins to come together.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough gently, pressing down with the heels of your hands and pushing the dough away from you before partially folding it back over itself. Use a dough scraper to pry up bits of dough that stick to the work surface. Shift the dough a quarter turn and repeat. As you knead, gradually add just enough of the remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky; you may not need all of it. Continue to knead until the dough is smooth and shiny, with good elasticity, about 10 or 15 minutes more. The dough should feel springy and be slightly moist. Too much kneading may result in a tough crust.

4. Lightly oil a large bowl, shape the dough into a ball, and place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel, and set aside to rise in a warm location until it doubles in size in bulk, about 90 minutes.

5. Punch the dough down and use within 2 hours. (If you are not going to use the dough within 2 hours, turn it into an oiled bowl to coat again, tightly cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When the dough has doubled again, in about 5 to 8 hours, punch it down, re-cover it, and leave it in the refrigerator. You can punch it down a total of 4 times, but after that, it gets tough. Use the dough within 32 hours or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 4 months.)

6. Cut the dough into equal-sized pieces for smaller pizzas or keep whole for a large pizza. Use your hands or a rolling pin to shape the dough on a lightly floured surface. Press and stretch it gently to the desired shape and thickness. The thinner the crust, the crispier it will be.

7. Leave the dough to rest, about 15 minutes, or place in the refrigerator for a thinner crust (since the dough doesn't rise as much in the refrigerator), until you're ready to top the pizza.



Read more: http://www./healthy-eating/recipes/whole-wheat-pizza-dough#ixzz1qVj6qlPf