Growing up, one of my most favorite places in my little girl world was Chuckie Cheese. The games, the dancing animals, the tickets, the prizes and of course, the pizza, made me dizzy with excitement. Nothing was better than sitting with my mom in those red booths and eating a cheesy slice of hot pizza.
As I grew older, my taste for pizza became more refined. We went to Italy when I was in high school, and I got to experience my first true Neopolitan pizza...the crispy crust, the San Marzano tomatoes and the fresh mozzarella were simply divine. Then in Denver, I ate at some great pizza establishments like Pasquini's and City O City and officially said good bye to big corporate pizza chains like Pizza Hut, Domino's and Little Ceasers.
While I love dining at pizza joints or picking up one of those cardboard boxes, I have found that making my own pizza dough is the most rewarding pizza experience. It allows me to use whole wheat flour, which boosts the nutritional quality of the dough, and my house smells wonderful while the pizza is baking. Ryan and I love picking out fun and unusual cheeses and toppings at specialty food stores or Whole Foods. We've also used this pizza dough to make calzones because who doesn't love a pocket of cheese and vegetables?
The recipe is straight forward and easy to throw together. The possibilities for toppings are endless, and I hope you have fun experimenting with different flavors and combinations.
As I grew older, my taste for pizza became more refined. We went to Italy when I was in high school, and I got to experience my first true Neopolitan pizza...the crispy crust, the San Marzano tomatoes and the fresh mozzarella were simply divine. Then in Denver, I ate at some great pizza establishments like Pasquini's and City O City and officially said good bye to big corporate pizza chains like Pizza Hut, Domino's and Little Ceasers.
While I love dining at pizza joints or picking up one of those cardboard boxes, I have found that making my own pizza dough is the most rewarding pizza experience. It allows me to use whole wheat flour, which boosts the nutritional quality of the dough, and my house smells wonderful while the pizza is baking. Ryan and I love picking out fun and unusual cheeses and toppings at specialty food stores or Whole Foods. We've also used this pizza dough to make calzones because who doesn't love a pocket of cheese and vegetables?
The recipe is straight forward and easy to throw together. The possibilities for toppings are endless, and I hope you have fun experimenting with different flavors and combinations.
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
1 TBSP honey
1.5 cups warm water
1 TBSP Active Dry Yeast
1 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1. In a small bowl, mix together honey and warm water. Stir in yeast and allow to sit until foamy (about ten minutes).
2. Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, and then mix in 3 cups of the whole wheat flour until dough starts to come together. Place dough onto a surface floured with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, and knead until the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with a towel. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour
3. At this point, you can divide your dough into two balls (for two thin crust pizzas) or leave the dough together (for a thicker crust). Form balls and allow to rest for an additional half hour.
4. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. If using a pizza stone, be certain to heat your stone for at least 45 minutes. Roll your dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then drape it over your fists and pull the edges outward. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan or use parchment paper to place on pizza stone. Top pizza with your favorite toppings and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes.
1 TBSP honey
1.5 cups warm water
1 TBSP Active Dry Yeast
1 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1. In a small bowl, mix together honey and warm water. Stir in yeast and allow to sit until foamy (about ten minutes).
2. Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, and then mix in 3 cups of the whole wheat flour until dough starts to come together. Place dough onto a surface floured with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, and knead until the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover loosely with a towel. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour
3. At this point, you can divide your dough into two balls (for two thin crust pizzas) or leave the dough together (for a thicker crust). Form balls and allow to rest for an additional half hour.
4. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. If using a pizza stone, be certain to heat your stone for at least 45 minutes. Roll your dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then drape it over your fists and pull the edges outward. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan or use parchment paper to place on pizza stone. Top pizza with your favorite toppings and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes.
RSS Feed
