Pizza is by far one of my guiltiest pleasures! I have a very hard time resisting it…no will power whatsoever. Combined with beer, it was definitely my downfall in college (it probably didn’t help that the only sport I played was beer pong.)
I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see if I could find a way to make it a bit healthier. Enter the whole wheat pizza crust, made easy by my mixer, which yes I am still obsessed with!
To start, you just combine a packet of yeast with some warm water, letting it sit until it gets a bit fizzy.
Yeast
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flours and the salt and mix using the dough hook on low-speed.
Flour mixing
Once combined, slowly add in the yeast, kneading the dough for about 7-10 minutes. Once it is well-formed, add in the olive oil.
Take the dough and shape it into a ball, placing it back in the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let the dough rise for about an hour, until it is double its size.
Dough rising
Once the dough has risen, punch it down. You can use it right away, or wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerate overnight to make it extra yummy.
Pizza Dough
To finish off your pizza, preheat your oven to 375º and add your toppings of choice, then bake for 15-20 minutes!
I caramelized some onions with garlic and mushrooms and then added some goat cheese and prosciutto to mine, while my roommate took a more traditional route, topping hers with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and black olives…both delicious!
Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Pizza
One good thing about this dough-you can freeze it and have it handy for a latter date! If you don’t want to use it all right away, just wrap it in some plastic wrap and aluminum foil and pop it in the freezer. It should take an hour or two to thaw, so make sure you take it out in time if you are craving it.
This is a great addition to my healthy cooking staples! A way to get my fix of a favorite, without as much guilt. And the ability to make my own mini pizzas has self-control built right in!
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
1 packet of dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
Add yeast to warm water in a medium-sized bowl, letting it sit for about 5 minutes until it gets fizzy
In a stand mixer, with the dough hook attached, combine the flours and salt on low-speed
Slowly add in the yeast mixture and let the dough hook knead the dough until well combined, scrapping the sides of the bowl to make sure all the flour is getting mixed in
Kneading should take about 7-10 minutes, then add in the olive oil and continue kneading until combined
Form your dough in to a ball and place back in your mixing bowl
Cover with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel, and let the dough rise for about an hour – the dough should almost double in size
Punch down the dough and form into desired shape for pizza making!
For even better results put in the fridge and let it sit overnight
Yields 8 Servings (I made 8 mini pizzas)
