Compatible with our Neapolitan pizza dough recipe, this Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, is just as a chewy pizza crust, but healthy! This whole wheat pizza crust is made of 100%whole wheat flour, yeast, olive oil, salt, and water, just like a traditional Italian pizza dough, only with the whole grain intact!
We make our own whole wheat flour, quick and easy, right at home using this grain mill. Baking with whole wheat has become a lifestyle and it’s actually so fresh and tasty when it’s freshly milled from scratch! We make almost everything from whole wheat pancakes, whole wheat bread, and even our own pastry flour and bread flour! Grains are nutrition-packed foods and can taste just as delicious as recipes using white flour! Read more about the types of flour I make using whole grains.
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe:
We love chewy pizza crust, like this Dominos Pizza Dough (Copycat), Homemade Pizza hut dough, and New York pizza dough recipe! So, when it comes to pizza dough recipes we know exactly what we want! This recipe for Whole Wheat pizza dough is easier than you think and is chewy, hearty, and easy to assemble right at home. The tastiest pizza dough is fermented in the fridge for at least 24 hours for its chewy texture and slow rise (not your high-yeasted bread).
So, we applied that preparation to make this pizza dough recipe. The secret to a crisp crust is to not use too much yeast, because like a quick bread it will fluff up and not create that dense and chewy bite of pizza we all love. We also use a generous amount of olive oil for the chewiest crust and for pizza dough you can easily hand toss! You will see how easy to work with, this dough is, not to mention the stretch and quality of it!
Best Whole Wheat Flour To Use for Pizza:
Whole wheat pizza dough is best made with a mild-flavored grain such as hard white wheat or Kamut. Sometimes you use a combination of hard red wheat and soft white wheat to make all-purpose flour. To make white whole wheat flour, simply grind all hard white wheat. You want the flavors of the pizza toppings to stand out. I buy all my grains from Azure to make organic Whole Wheat flour for my family. The best whole wheat flour substitute is to use store-bought wheat flour like King Arthur or this Whole White Wheat flour already ground.
Measuring Whole Wheat Flour:
How to measure flour? I’ve learned that fluffing up the flour and spooning it into a measuring cup doesn’t quite work with freshly ground whole wheat flour. Because the germ, bran, and endosperm are present, wheat flour is fluffier in volume taking up more space in a cup. It’s best to scoop the flour directly from the canister using a measuring cup and gently shaking off any flour rather than scraping a knife across the top.
Whole Wheat Flour vs all-purpose flour? Recipes by weight always remain the same in the amount of flour you use. In grams, one cup of white flour weighs more than a cup of whole wheat flour. That is because white flour is more compact being made up mostly of the endosperm.
The Best Cheese For Pizza Dough:
The most popular cheese is Mozzarella cheese. We love low-moisture mozzarella cheese, which contains less water than regular mozzarella cheese. What does that mean, your pizza will be less watery and the cheese won’t slide off as easily. It’s also a good idea to use different types of mild white cheese, like Monterey cheese, provolone, and parmesan cheese, as each has its own taste profile. Bake pizza crust at a high temperature to get speckled cheese spots. Another tip to keep in mind is that pre-shredded cheese contains cellulose, which is an anti-caking additive that is in powder form. It tends to dry out the cheese, so drizzle some olive oil over the shredded cheese before baking.
I personally prefer to use block cheeses that I grate myself. My favorite cheese for a cheese pizza is the 1-pound blocks from Walmart, specifically, the Monterey and low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese. When using shredded Mozzarella Cheese, drizzle with olive oil so, the cheese doesn’t dry out.
Pro-Tips For A Chewy Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:
The key to a crispy pizza bottom and edge is to bake pizza over high heat to create a brown crust. Using a pizza screen provides an open heat source similar to a brick oven only without the direct heat of hot brick or stone. Pizza baked on perforated pizza pans allows even heat distribution, without the need for expensive restaurant equipment. This heating effect is ideal for the dough to be sprinkled with cornmeal to allow the pizza to easily slide on and off it. I will typically preheat my oven to at least 450°F before baking my pizza, if your oven goes up to 500°F then utilize that. It takes under 10 minutes to bake a pizza this way and can sometimes create incredible bubbles in the dough! Brush the edges with olive oil for even more browning.
Pizza Dough Ingredients:
This recipe for pizza dough calls for simple and basic ingredients. I like to sprinkle an additional blend of pre-shredded Italian cheeses, like provolone, mozzarella, parmesan, romano, Fontina, and Asiago cheese. Sprinkling some dried herbs and garlic powder over the pizza sauce gives more flavor. Adding dried parsley to the top of a cheese pizza before baking will create a notable pizza pie!
- Whole Wheat Flour- freshly milled hard white wheat flour is what I used. You can mix and match grains to make a happy medium of the flour blend you like.
- Dry active yeast– works perfectly in this pizza dough recipe. If you are using rapid-rise or bread machine yeast be sure to stir it into the flour and use cool water so that the yeast doesn’t activate as quickly.
- Olive oil- or any mild-flavored cooking oil works best.
- Salt- I like to use good-quality sea salt.
- Cool Water- will help the pizza dough ferment, slow, and long. If you use warm water it’ll still be ok, however, it can bulge bigger too quickly even in the fridge, so use a large storing bag.
Pizza Tip: I like to brush a mixture of olive oil, crushed garlic, and Italian herbs over the crust before applying the pizza sauce, this locks the crust from getting soggy and creates a slightly greasy cheese crust like some pizzerias.
How To Make Whole Wheat Pizza Dough:
Whole wheat pizza dough is an easy process with quick prep and fast cooking time! Refrigerating the dough is the only time-consuming part. Homemade pizza dough is best stretched out on cornmeal and then baked on a pizza screen. This creates a super chewy browned crust comparable to the pizzerias! I like to bake my pizza crust over High heat on the lower rack of my oven, this way the crust gets brown and the cheese doesn’t burn as quickly.
- Knead the pizza dough for 5 minutes in a Kitchen-Aid Mixer. The dough will look sticky but will eventually knead into a smooth ball.
- Allow dough to proof in the fridge for at least 2 hours (24-48 hours is best.)
- Traditional pizza dough is usually tossed or stretched in cornmeal or flour (no rolling pin.) Stretch the round flat base to the desired size (generally a 12 oz ball of dough should be stretched to a 12-inch circle) and use any method of stretching. We like this pastry rolling pin that you can roll out right in the pan.
- Place dough onto a pizza screen or pizza pan, and place desired toppings on top. Favorite toppings include garlic and Italian herb-infused olive oil, tomato sauce, and cheese.
- Bake at a high temperature of 450-500°F for 7-8 minutes. You want the oven to be ready and preheated before sliding the pizza screen into the oven.
- Serve sliced and cut into wedges using a pizza cutter.
Storing Pizza Dough:
After you make this simple pizza dough recipe you will need to store it in disposable bags. I like these gallon-size storage bags as they come with twist ties and are super lightweight bags. I use this spray bottle that I fill with olive oil and use as a cooking spray to grease the tops and bags. Place each dough ball into a bag and twist-tie shut. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. When ready to bake, take out the dough for at least 20 minutes before stretching.
Can You Freeze Pizza Dough?
Premade pizza dough can be frozen, however, there is a technique for success. Since pizza is a meal needed in a hurry, it is best prepared ahead of time and reheated in the oven frozen. You’ll need to start by preparing the dough with warm water to activate the yeast. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, then shape it into balls and let rest for another 30 minutes. Stretch the balls of dough out and place them into pizza pans then prick the entire center with a pizza docker or fork. This helps steam escape from any build-up during baking and makes an evenly surface crust. Bake crusts for 4 minutes at 500°F and cool before topping with pizza toppings.
To Freeze: Wrap pizza in two layers of plastic wrap and place it into the freezer to bake at home later. Frozen pizza dough can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freezing whole-wheat pizza dough is so easy. To reheat unwrap the frozen pizza and place it onto a pizza pan. Preheat the oven to 450°F and bake for 14 minutes.
Favorite Pizza Toppings Variations:
This easy pizza dough recipe is fantastic with basic cheese! Here are other quick and easy pizza dough toppings to throw on your crust.
- Cheese Pizza- is a favorite! Spread my garlic olive oil over the crust, and top with a pizza seasoning mix, tomato sauce, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, and 1 cup of shredded Monterey cheese. I like to sprinkle dried parsley over the top.
- Pepperoni Pizza- spread my garlic olive oil over the crust (recipe down below) and top with tomato sauce, pizza seasoning (Italian herbs), Mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni slices.
- Cheeseburger Pizza- add 2 Tbsp brown sugar and 2 tsp oregano to the dough. Mix 5 Tbsp of mayo and 1 1/2 Tbsp of yellow mustard; spread over 2 crusts and top both with white American cheese slices, 1 lb fried ground beef, and shredded Colby Jack cheese. Top with thinly sliced purple onions.
- Mushroom Pizza- top crust with tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, Mozzarella cheese, and 4 oz canned drained mushroom slices.
Note: use about 2 cups of grated cheese for every 12 oz pizza dough. When using pre-shredded mozzarella cheese drizzle the top with olive oil so the cheese does not dry out. Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking ingredient that tends to dry out the cheese when baking.
Creative Ways To Use Pizza Dough:
Wondering what to make with pizza dough besides pizza? Here are ways you can transform your pizza dough!
- Make stromboli or use the dough for meat turnovers.
- Roll out one ball of dough to a large 12-inch rectangle and make cheesy breadsticks!
- Make 5-inch individual pizzas for the children or family on pizza night!
- Make a flatbread to serve with rice and chicken curry
- Roll out super thin and prick holes to make whole wheat crackers. Use a pastry roller and roll the dough out on a large cookie sheet.
Q&A
How To Make Pizza Dough Without Yeast?
This simple pizza dough recipe calls for 1/2 tsp of dry active yeast. To make pizza dough without yeast simply, use 1/2 cup of sourdough starter and decrease the liquid by 1/4 cup.
How To Make Garlic Olive Oil for Pizza Dough:
To make the same olive oil-infused dipping sauce that I keep by my stove mix together, 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 6-8 cloves crushed garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp of Italian seasoning. I spread this over my pizza crust and edges.
Pizza Dough Tips:
- Flavor the pizza dough with 1 teaspoon of oregano, dried basil, or garlic powder. Whole wheat flour is more hearty and robust so double the spices you’d usually use for white flour.
- To stretch out pizza dough, dust cornmeal on your working surface. Amazingly this dough is super stretchy after proofing in the fridge so it can be tossed in the air. Using a rolling pin will leave flat edges that you can fold over the edges to make a thicker crust. However, pressing a border around the crust and then stretching the center out on top of a cornmeal-dusted surface is the best.
- Sweeten the dough with 2 1/2 teaspoons of honey or sugar, for a sweeter crust.
- To make a thin-crust pizza dough recipe, stretch the dough base to a 14-inch circle instead of a 12-inch round.
- This is not quite a no-yeast pizza dough, but it does call for less yeast than some pizza dough recipes. A little can go such a long way and gives pizza dough great stretch.
- Make a bread machine pizza dough, by kneading it on the dough settings of your bread machine. I like to knead my dough in a stand mixer over high speed to work out the gluten quickly.
- Use disposable bags (gallon-sized food storage bags with twist-ties) to store the dough balls in the fridge.
- Add 3 oz of tomato sauce to a 12-inch pizza (that’s about 3 heaping Tablespoons or 1/3 cup.)
- I grated a block of low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese and a white Monterey cheese block for my cheeses. Use a blend of your favorite Italian cheeses.
- I love to eat cheese pizza with pre-grated parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes.
- To make whole wheat bread flour, grind hard white wheat or hard red wheat into flour. Commercial bread flour is sifted and enriched.
More Whole Wheat Flour Recipes:
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
- Whole Wheat Tortillas
- Sourdough Bagels (we’ve tried this recipe with 100% whole wheat flour to make whole wheat bagels)
- Whole Wheat English Muffins
Try These Pizza Dough Recipes:
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust (gluten-free pizza dough)
- Stuffed crust pizza
- Cheesy Bacon Pull-Apart Pizza Twist
- Breakfast Pizza Recipe with Sausage Gravy
- Alfredo Pizza
- Deep-Dish Pizza Recipe (Supreme)
How To Make Pizza Dough:
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Equipment
- 1 12 or 14-inch pizza screen (to bake pizza dough)
- 1 pizza cutter (to cut a pizza)
- 1 cutting board (to slice the pizza on)
- 1 stand mixer to knead the dough (or use your hands)
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp sea salt (finely ground)
- 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 3/4 cups cold water* (if proofing 24 hours, see notes below)
Instructions
Directions:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Add in the olive oil and water and knead the dough for 5 minutes over medium-high speed. (The dough will start off sticky and then turn into a soft dough.)
- Divide dough into 3 equal, 12 oz balls.
- Grease the tops with olive oil and place them into lightly greased storage bags. Twist-Tie the bags and keep them stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How To Bake Pizza Crust:
- Remove the pizza dough from the fridge for at least 20 minutes before baking. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F during this time.
- Place dough onto a cornmeal-dusted surface. Press a border around the edge of the dough to make a crust.
- Indent the center with your fingers and stretch the dough out to a 12-inch circle.
- Brush olive oil over the crust and edges. Sprinkle pizza seasoning over the top.
- Top with 3 Tablespoons of tomato sauce.
- Then 2 cups of cheese, and 1 tsp of dried parsley.
- Bake for 8 minutes until the edges are browned and the cheese melts.
- Slice and cut into 8 wedges.
Notes
- Garlic-Herb Olive Oil to brush the crust: mix 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 8 cloves crushed garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp of Italian seasoning. Store the rest by your stove to cook with or brush over other bread recipes.
- Cheese: I like to grate a block of part-skim low-moisture mozzarella cheese and a block of Monetary cheese from Walmart. Use 1 cup heaping cup of each cheese.