Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I have long been of the opinion that if pizza is on the menu, it’s best to order it from Pizza Hut and not mess with a good (well, perfect) thing.  Why waste time making my own crust and chopping vegetables when I can just sit my butt down in a chair and wait for someone else to make it?  Or, better yet, just stay at home and wait for it to be delivered?

That is until I decided to give a recipe for whole wheat pizza crust a try.  Now I find myself making pizza at home more often than dialing for a delivery.  It may not be the best recipe out there, but it’s the only one I’ve tried because for me, it was love at first bite. (And the added nutrition form the whole wheat is a bonus too!)

The cool thing about pizza is that you can put pretty much anything between the crust and the cheese and it’s going to taste fabulous.  And no matter how much you healthify it–whether it be with a whole wheat crust or tons of veggies–it still tastes like junk food.  And if you can stick to one piece (yes, it is possible), then it can be on your diet plan AND it lasts longer that way.  It takes Den and me 3 days to eat a large pizza.

Today I used what I had on hand–marinara for the sauce, red onion, mushrooms, green peppers, some leftover hamburger, about a cup of chopped basil and oregano from my backyard and a generous sprinkling of mozzarella.  And as always, it was delish!!!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
Adapted from a Hodgson Mill recipe

1 package active dry yeast (I use rapid rise/instant*)

1 cup warm water (115 degrees if you’re measuring…I don’t)

1 ½ cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. granulated sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Put water in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Stir in whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, olive oil and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.  Knead in remaining flour by hand and continue to knead for about 5 minutes (the dough will be smooth and elastic).

Coat the bowl with oil, place dough in the bowl and turn to coat thoroughly.  Cover the bowl with a towel and set it in a warm place and allow to rise for 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees while you’re waiting.

Spray a large pizza pan (or two small) with no-stick cooking spray.  Stretch pizza crust (I press it from the center outward) to fit pan and flute outer edges of dough to hold fillings.  Brush on some olive oil, then put on your sauce & toppings.  Bake until cheese is melted, about ten minutes.  Slice it up and serve it hot!

*If you use rapid rise/rapid acting/instant yeast, skip the dissolving step and just mix it in with everything else. I usually mix it with the dry ingredients, then stir in all the liquid before kneading in the remaining flour. Easy peasy!