Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

If you are looking for a tasty whole wheat pizza crust….here it is!  Fed it to my family (ie the picky-pants) and they had no idea it contained whole grains. 

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Makes one extra large or two medium

INGREDIENTS:

·         1      (1/4 oz) pkg of active dry yeast

·         1      tablespoon of sugar

·         1 ¼  cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

·         2 ½  cups whole-wheat flour

·         1 ½  cups unbleached all-purpose flour

·         2      teaspoons salt

·         1      tablespoon olive oil

·          Cornmeal

INSTRUCTIONS:

·         Add water to a 2 cup glass measuring cup, add yeast and sugar stirring to combine.  Let sit 5 minutes

·         Add whole-wheat flour, unbleached all-purpose flour, and salt to the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse several times to combine.

·         Stir olive oil into yeast mixture.

·         With processor running, slowly add yeast mixture, until mixture is combined and a ball forms.

·         On a lightly floured surface, turn the dough out and kneed for 5 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turn to grease top.  Cover, and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

·         Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

·         On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out.

·         Sprinkle a pizza stone with cornmeal or lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

·         Place crust on stone or baking sheet, prick with a fork, add toppings.

·         Bake on lower shelf in oven till cheese is bubbly and crust is cooked through.

HINTS:

·         Substitute warm beer for the water.

·         Add a tablespoon of parmesan cheese or herbs to the flour mixture.

·         Divide dough and let everyone add their own toppings.

·         If you are trying to cut sugar out of your diet substitute a tablespoon of agave syrup.

·         If your family is just getting used to whole grains you can use White Wheat flour instead of the Whole Wheat.  You can also just use all White Wheat flour if you are trying to cut out refined carbs.  Just be aware that the crust will be denser and need a little more elbow grease to roll out.

·         Make a couple of batches at once.  Bake the crusts without toppings.  Wrap the crusts individually with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in ziplock bags in the freezer.  Just take them out add toppings and bake.  This works best if you make individual crusts that will fit in the ziptop bags, or just double wrap larger ones.