Quick Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
March 24, 2008 by Andrea 
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Filed under Breads
Pizza is a staple around our house, something that we really enjoy making and eating. I have wanted to add a whole-wheat dough to our repertoire, and I’ve tried it a number of different ways but not always with good results. I also wanted to experiment with a quick dough, something that I could whip out on a busy day without a lot of rising time. I wish I could say that I had loads of time to make bread and pizza dough every day, but that’s just not the case! Maybe when I’m retired and the boys have all grown up and gone off into the world.
I saw this recipe on Eating Well advertised as a dough you could prepare and have in the oven in just 30 minutes. That’s not really time to rise, just enough time for gluten to start developing, but I thought it was worth trying. The whole wheat flour adds a lot of depth to the crust and can make it too heavy if you accidentally use too much, especially since it loves to soak up the liquid. I think the recipe works better with one tablespoon of flour subtracted from the full cup. The dough does not rise, so don’t expect that, it just has time to rest before shaping. If you can make it the night before and let it rest in the refrigerator it’s even better because the dough is a little slack and easier to roll out, plus the flavors have time to develop even more. It will even perform well after sitting for up to two days. If you like the refrigerated Trader Joe’s pizza dough in the bags, then you will probably like this as it’s pretty similar.
The dough is simple to make and tastes pretty good. We all enjoyed it and my pizza loving five-year-old kept asking for more. We made two thin crust pizzas out of it and ate them for dinner, but this would also make a great appetizer. You can also use all of the dough and make one thick crust pizza.
We topped one pizza with caramelized shallots, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese, and the other with my favorite pizza sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella.
I wrote the instructions based on my KitchenAid stand mixer, an old 300-watt model which doesn’t like heavy doughs. If you have a newer model with more power, then you might be able to increase the speed slightly for kneading.
Equipment
stand mixer with dough hook attachment
pizza peel or rimless cookie sheet
baking stone (or you can bake on the cookie sheet)
Ingredients
1 scant cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons instant yeast or 1 package quick-rising yeast
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
¾ cup hot water (approximately 115°F)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
coarse cornmeal, for sprinkling on the peel
Preparation
1. In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, and sugar and whisk together. Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Mix on low until the dough forms a ball, then increased speed to 2 for just 1 minute to knead.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.
3. Place a pizza stone on the lowest oven rack; preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting. Sprinkle the coarse cornmeal on the pizza peel or pizza pan.
4. Lightly flour your hands. Flatten the dough with your palms, then pick it up and hold it by the edge, rotating the dough in a circle. This helps stretch the dough.
5. Lay the stretched dough on the floured surface. Roll the pizza, rotating a quarter turn after a couple rolls. Continue until you have a 12 to 13-inch circle. Transfer the rolled dough to the pizza peel or pizza pan.
6. Add the toppings of your choice and place pizza pan in the oven. If using a baking stone, slide the pizza onto the hot stone.
7. Bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes. Serve immediately.
Tips
Store in a plastic bag coated with cooking spray in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
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Source: adapted from Eating Well magazine
I have used the Ina Garten pizza dough and it rises in 30 minutes and is delish, but I’m excited to try a whole wheat version! My question is this, is it a really heavy dough??? Thanks so much!
Hi Meredith! This is a heavy dough, though certainly not as heavy as a multi-grain bread with lots of seeds. If you make one pizza out of it, you will have a thick, chewy crust. If you divide it and make two as we did, you’ll have a thin crust.
I’ve been looking for a great whole wheat pizza dough! I have in my memory my best friend’s mother making WW pizza every Friday night as we were growing up. How I wish I had her recipe! I’ll be trying yours very soon. I just called my mom to have her bring me some whole wheat when I read this recipe!
I think that pizza looks absolutely gorgeous! Now I know what I am going to make for supper tonight! I’ve never done a whole wheat crust before. Whole wheat is healthy, so this has to be good for you!
YUM…just like the Trader Joes? I have to try it- that dough was so quick to pick up and soo versatile- as is my luck- the Navy has moved us away from Trader Joes…being able to do just as well at home would be terrific!
Yummy, Andrea! Hope to try it out one day!
Hi Andrea,
Great blog! I am so glad I found you. Yesterday, with a crazy mad notion to make pizza at the last minute, I searched and found your blog and used your recipe (except I didn’t have the wheat flour). It turned out well! I wrote about it in my blog and gave a link back to you. Thanks for the tips!
Nicole
Hi Jennifer! I wouldn’t say “just like Trader Joe’s,” but the concept is the same–fast and easy.
Thanks Nicole! I’m glad you tried it and found it worthwhile. While it’s not my favorite dough, either, it is handy for those meals when things are hectic!
This was FANTASTIC … nice to have a healthy alternative that my hubby actually LOVES. Thank you so much for sharing!
Why doesn’t this dough have to rest for very long…and for that matter what determines how long a dough has to rest. The recipie in my Joy of Cooking says 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
Hi Peter! Long rising times are only necessary for traditional or thick crusts. This recipe makes two thin crust pizzas, thus does not require a long rising time. You still get plenty of flavor and some good oven spring.
Hi Andrea! Thanks for the quick reply. I let my dough rest for about 1.5 hours, because I didn’t know what to do and thought it was better to be safe than sorry, and the dough doubled in size just like Joy of Cooking said. So does this mean that I can use the same dough and let it rest for 20min as you say and have thin crust or let it rise and have thick? Do I have the option, and therfore is that how I make thin vs thick pizza…by dictating the ammount of time I let it rest? Thanks in advance.
Hey Andrea I just made this dough with my friend and we used soy cheese (we’re vegan) and it was delicious!! Great recipe I didn’t have a stand mixer so I used hand one with only one mixer attachment it still turned out great!
Healthy and nutritious how can you go wrong
Do you have to use both whole wheat flour and regular flour? Why can’t you use just the whole wheat flour when making the crust recipe?
Thanks,
Jim
Hi Jim. You could certainly use just whole wheat flour. I find the dough is a little heavy for pizza, but that’s just my preference.
Was I the only one that a had a problem getting the un-cooked pizza from the floured surface to the pan that had been warming in the oven? What a mess! Should I have done something different?
It did turn out delicious though.
Thanks!
Chantal – I had the exact same problem, a big mess as you say!
Someone told me I should have used much more flour on the floured surface. But that didn’t seem like the only problem. It just seemed to ply-able when I moved it, and the perfect shape I had made was destroyed! Maybe someone can tell us the trick. Is a pizza peel required?
Hi Dave & Chantal. Yes, lots of flour and cornmeal helps for transferring to the oven. Also, your dough will stick if it has too much moisture, so working in a little extra flour while rolling helps, too.
Love your site. I just linked to your pizza dough recipe on Foodie Mama. It should be live in a few days here: http://foodiemama.com/Raising-Foodie-Kids/
Thanks for the link!