Healthy Pizza
Submitted by lbalyeat
Healthy whole wheat pizza with a half-and-half whole-grain crust, tomato sauce, and mozzarella. Yeast-risen homemade dough baked hot for crisp edges.
YIELD
1 pizzaPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
1 hrsHalf whole wheat flour, half all-purpose makes a pizza dough that feels substantial but still stretches and bakes like proper pizza. Full whole wheat dough goes dense and tough. Full white is a blank slate. The fifty-fifty split is the sweet spot that gets you some nutty flavor and fiber without sacrificing a tender crumb.
Proofing the yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar for 5 minutes is the pizza baker’s confidence check. If the yeast foams, you’re good. If it doesn’t, the yeast is dead and you save yourself the heartbreak of a flat crust.
500°F (260°C) is the secret to crisp crust. Home ovens can’t match a brick pizza oven’s 800°F heat, but maxing out your oven and baking directly on a hot baking sheet or stone gets you close enough. A cold oven or lower temperature means pale, soft, disappointing crust.
Pro Tips
- Preheat the baking sheet or stone for at least 30 minutes before the pizzas go in. A cold baking surface doesn’t deliver the blast of bottom heat needed for crisp crust.
- Let the dough rise until actually doubled, not just until the timer runs out. Under-risen dough gives dense, chewy pizza instead of airy.
- Spread sauce thin, just 2 tablespoons per pizza. More sauce makes the crust soggy and drowns the other toppings.
- Shred mozzarella from a block rather than using pre-shredded bags. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking powders that make it melt weirdly.
Variations
- Top with sliced mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and fresh arugula for a vegetable-packed version.
- Add a drizzle of balsamic reduction after baking for extra depth.
- Swap mozzarella for a mix of low-moisture mozzarella and shredded provolone for a pizzeria-style melt.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat over to 500 degrees F.
In a small bowl, proof the yeast with the sugar in ¼ cup of the water, tightl y covered, for 5 minutes or until the yeast is foamy.
Transfer the yeast mixture to a bowl, stir in the additional water, the flours and salt and combine well.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it (adding add itional flour or water as necessary) for 10 minutes or until it is smooth and e lastic.
Put it in a lightly oiled bowl, turn it to coat it with the oil and let it rise tighly covered in a warm place for 1 hour or until it is double in bulk.
Shape the dough the into 6 balls and roll out each into a 5 inch round for a th ick crust or 9 inch round for a thin crust.
Transfer the rounds to cookie sheet s and spread 2 tablespoons of sauce on top of each one.
Arrange any optional topping over the sauce and sprinkle with 1/6th of the cheese.
Bake on the bottom of the preheated over for 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden on the bottom.
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