The best thing about making pizza at home is that everyone can make their own pizza and top it any way they want. I like to add roasted garlic and sun dried tomatoes to mine, but the kids rarely stray from good old pepperoni and cheese. Another great reason to make pizza at home is it’s easier to make it a healthier. We use a lot less cheese and I add whole wheat flour to the crust.
I adapted this recipe from a pizza dough recipe I found online at A Year In Bread. I have tried others, but keep coming back to this one. The dough stretches easily and the honey and olive oil give it a great flavor. You can make it crispy or chewy depending on how thick you roll out the dough. This will make two 12 inch pizzas, but I usually make four individual 8 inch pizzas.
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough and Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water between 95º and 115º
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cup bread flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons 1 US package instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons [vital wheat gluten]
- ½ teaspoon salt
Homemade Pizza Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes in rich puree
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Whisk together the honey, warm water, and oil in a small bowl. The water should be about 95 to 115°. It should feel very warm, but not hot.
- Mix 1 cup bread flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour, yeast, wheat gluten, and salt in mixing bowl, using the paddle attachment, mix on low for about 30 seconds.
- With the motor running on low, pour in the liquids. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough begins to form. Clean off paddle and switch to dough hook. Mix in the remaining cup of bread flour a little at a time, to make a moderately stiff dough. Adding more or less flour as needed.
- Knead for eight minutes. The dough should completely clear the sides. If it is too sticky, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more flour is needed. If the dough seems too dry, spritz with water from a spray bottle a couple of times, mixing in thoroughly before determining if more water is needed. You'll find the dough wraps itself around the hook, so every 2 minutes, stop the machine, scrape the dough off the hook, and then continue kneading.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times by hand to be sure it's tight and elastic. Form the dough into a tight ball.
- Wash and dry your mixing bowl then mist it with oil. Place the dough, seam-side down, in the bowl and lightly mist top of dough with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size–45 minutes to an hour.
- Heat the oven to 450F. (If you are using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat while the dough is rising.) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two equal portions. Set one aside and cover with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
- Shape the other portion into a round by hand. Place the rolling pin in the center of the round and push outward. Rotate the dough ¼ turn and repeat. Continue until dough is about 12 inches across. Alternatively, you can stretch the dough by hand, which I do. The dough is quite elastic and will want to shrink, so don't rush it. Pause every now and then while shaping (whether by hand or with a rolling pen) to allow the dough to relax.
- Once dough is shaped, place on a sheet of parchment paper and top pizza as desired with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Using a pizza peel, transfer pizza on parchment to a pizza stone in the oven. (You can trim the parchment so it is only slight larger than your pizza.)
- Bake 8–10 minutes, or until crust is golden browned and cheese is brown and melted. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting.
- Homemade Pizza Sauce
- In a small saucepan, sauté garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until sauce reaches desired thickness. Sauce may be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Foodessa
Nothing beats the homemade kind where we know exactly what goes into that pizza.
Your dough has excellent ingredients…especially the honey ;o)
Thanks for sharing and flavourful wishes,
Claudia
Kristy
I am wondering if anyone has tried the Fleischman's pizza yeast?? Supposedly no rise yeast. I am a little nervous about using it. Anyone have any experience?
Bunnee
We do pizza at home regularly and I use the parchment, too. So much easier to work with the pizza! We usually don't do a tomato sauce – just olive oil and toppings, usually fresh mozzarella (small amounts)and conservative amounts of other toppings. My husband likes figs and goat cheese!
teresa
homemade pizza is the best! this looks awesome, i really want to try that sauce out.
Kim
I love making pizzas at home and am always looking for new recipes for pizza dough. I've tried whole wheat, but never with the vital wheat gluten or the honey. The pizza dough looks like it baked up to perfection!
Megan
I need a good tried and true pizza crust recipe. As soon as my oven gets fixed, this on the menu! With the Summer temps, I've been in no hurry to fix the oven or get a new one.
Stumbled!
Kamalika
making pizza from the scratch is really a very helpful post…
Mimi
We haven't had takeout pizza in our house in years. The whole wheat and honey dough sounds like a delicious alternative to our usual crust. I'll give it a try next time.
Mimi
Asha @ FSK
Isn't whole wheat crust just yumm??!! I actually don't make 100% whole wheat at home (more like 33%) but hub once brought me whole wheat crust from the shop by mistake and only it's awesomeness saved him.. LOL
tspegar
my children like to act like they dislike wheat. i sneak it in whenever possible… they are clueless… this is another good chance to make them eat it! 🙂
Lo & Go
I love whole wheat crust! You can't even tell it's healthy with all the pizza toppings!
elra
Oh yum! Perfect for weekend easy party. Crust sounds delicious too.
Cathy
Your pizza looks so delicious, Barbara. I'm going to try your whole wheat crust recipe this weekend. I've spoiled everyone with homemade pizza and now can't go back to store bought.
Sue
I love whole wheat pizza crust…a pizza restaurant in town offers it and it's so good! Your recipe sounds delicious! The photos are making me very hungry!
Lori
Looks real good. I havent made pizza in a while- too much heat. I am anxiously awaiting a cool down.
Memória
Wow. ¡Esa pizza se ve perfecta! Voy a guardar esta receta. Ya que voy a vivir con las hijas de mi novia, quiero incorporar harina de trigo y otros ingredientes más saludables. ¡Buenísimas fotos!
Faith
Your pizza is gorgeous! Better than any pizzeria's take-out!
Bonnie
This dough looks so nice. I am excited to have a recipe with wwheat. Can I have a slice of your pizza with the sun-dried tomatoes and roasted garlic?
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
So true mum and that looks great. We have only ordered pizza once in the last few years as we really enjoy making it at home! 😀 xxx
grace
I've always been too fearful to make pizza from scratch. This looks like it came out fantastic though, bravo!