Fast and Healthy Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
Makes one 12-14" pizza, dough may be divided into 2 or 4 smaller pizzas
1 (scant tablespoon) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon up to 1 tablespoon honey, agave syrup, or sugar (I use 1 teaspoon)
I add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, to make a more tender crust
Method:
Place oven rack in lowest position, and If you have a pizza/baking stone place place it on the rack. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl, stir in sweetener of choice until well blended. Allow to stand until yeast begins to activate and becomes bubbly or creamy looking, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl (or food processor bowl) combine flour, wheat germ and salt, stir or pulse to combine. Add liquid ingredients (and olive oil, if using), to bowl and pulse or stir to combine completely. Cover and place in a warm area to relax dough for a few minutes.
Note: Can be made ahead up to this point, cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 12 hours.) Remove from fridge and allow to warm up to room temperature, about 45 minutes to an hour, then form and bake.
To form pizza, form into a rough ball and roll dough on a floured pizza pan; dock dough (poke a few holes in it with a fork.) I like to divide dough into 4 portions to make 4 individual pizzas. I roll and bake on parchment lined baking sheet directly on pizza stone which is preheated on the bottom rack of oven.
You can proceed one of two ways from this point ~
Either arrange pizza toppings on dough and bake in preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes or so, or until desired crispiness is achieved.
OR ~ (the way I prefer...)
Brush top of dough lightly with olive oil, bake the dough (without toppings) for a few minutes, remove from oven, arrange toppings on partially baked dough then return to oven and bake until as crisp as you like.
To form pizza, form into a rough ball and roll dough on a floured pizza pan; dock dough (poke a few holes in it with a fork.) I like to divide dough into 4 portions to make 4 individual pizzas. I roll and bake on parchment lined baking sheet directly on pizza stone which is preheated on the bottom rack of oven.
You can proceed one of two ways from this point ~
Either arrange pizza toppings on dough and bake in preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes or so, or until desired crispiness is achieved.
OR ~ (the way I prefer...)
Brush top of dough lightly with olive oil, bake the dough (without toppings) for a few minutes, remove from oven, arrange toppings on partially baked dough then return to oven and bake until as crisp as you like.
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