So… when I say pizza, what happens? Who doesn\’t love pizza? While you may not eat a lot of it or some of the ingredients just do not \”agree\” with you, I think it\’s safe to say that most people just love pizza!! Well, if you\’re looking for a healthier version for the crust, then this recipe is for you! This recipe was shared with me from a friend who has made the dough and found from the tastebetterfromscratch.com website. Have a BALL making your dough! Since it\’s getting warmer, also try grilling your crust!!

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Add warm water, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and stir. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the yeast to proof. (If it doesn’t get foamy on top, your yeast was not good.)
2. Add the olive oil and salt and stir to combine.
3. Add the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Knead with your stand mixer (or on your greased counter with your hands) for 7-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour, if needed. The dough should be slightly sticky to the touch, but not so sticky that it sticks to your finger.
4. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. When the dough has doubled, divide it into 2-3 balls depending on how thin or thick you want your crust to be..
6. Spray your work surface lightly with cooking spray, or dust lightly with flour. Use a rolling pin or your hands to roll and stretch the dough to your desired pizza size. Prick all over with a fork.
7. Pre-bake pizza crust at 450 degrees in a pizza pan or on a pizza stone, for 6 minutes.  Remove the crust and add pizza sauce and toppings. Bake for about 8-10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Pro Tip: Before pre-baking my pizza crust, I heat the oven with a pizza stone inside. If you don’t have a pizza stone you could use a baking tray (like a cookie sheet), turned upside down. I then sprinkle cornmeal on my pizza peel and place the crust on top, and then slide the crust onto the hot baking stone. If you don’t have a pizza peel you can place the pizza crust on a piece of parchment paper to lift and set it onto your hot pizza stone or baking tray.

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TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH:

ALWAYS PRE-BAKE THIS WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE

I’ve found that the key to making homemade pizza dough is pre-baking your pizza dough.  It’s absolutely essential to pre-bake the dough for 5-6 minutes before adding pizza sauce and toppings. The result is a crust that holds on its own and is slightly crisp on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside.

GIVE THE PIZZA DOUGH SUFFICIENT TIME TO RISE!

For best results in texture, be sure to give the dough time to properly rise.

HOW TO STRETCH PIZZA DOUGH

It’s common practice to roll pizza dough on a floured surface, but I actually like to spray my counter with non-stick spray instead of using flour.  That way excess flour doesn’t make the dough tough and its really easy to stretch the dough with your hands.  You can also use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a circle, or your desired shape but I find that using my hands is just as easy.

If you want to be a true Italian pizza artist,  check out this tutorial on how to stretch your pizza dough by tossing the dough in the air.

HOW TO FREEZE PIZZA DOUGH:

This pizza dough recipe makes enough for two regular crusts or three thin crust pizzas.  You can freeze any leftover pizza dough that you don’t use.  Form a ball with the dough and lightly spray it on all sides.  Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a ziplock freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.  To thaw, place the pizza dough in the refrigerator overnight to thaw and rise. Once risen, roll it out when you are ready to pre-bake.

You could also pre-bake the pizza crust and freeze the pre-baked crust before adding sauce and toppings.  Just make sure the crust cools completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap and tinfoil and store it in your freezer.