Whole Wheat Pizza

I decided to make Hawaiian pizza from scratch. That’s right, pizza dough from scratch. It sounds like a lot of work, but I tell you, it was so easy! I had this book on hand for reference:

I altered the pizza dough recipe to incorporate some whole wheat goodness and the crust turned out yummy.

Hawaiian Olive Oil Whole Wheat Pizza ~ adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

2-3/4 C water, lukewarm                                         
1-1/2 Tbsp granulated yeast (1-1/2 packets)
1-1/2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 C extra virgin oil
5-1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour

1/2 C tomato sauce (I used Ragu)
20 – 30 slices pepperoni
1/2 C fresh pineapple, sliced and diced
1-1/2 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 C cornmeal

1. Mix yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil with water in a large bowl.

2. Mix in both flours and stir with a large spoon (or mixer fitted with a dough hook). If using spoon, you may need to use your hands to mix in the last bit of flour (make sure your hands are wet to reduce the dough from sticking to your hands).

3. Cover bowl with a dry tea towel and let the dough rest for approximately 2 hours.

4. If not using now, refrigerate in a lidded container (not airtight) and this can be stored this way for up to 12 days.

5. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat oven with a pizza stone at 500 degrees. Prepare pizza topping ingredients.

6. Dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off desired amount of dough (I used half of the dough). Dust the piece with more flour and shape into a ball by wrapping the dough around itself.

7. Flatten the dough with your hands and a rolling pin (dusted with flour) to desired thickness. Place the rolled out dough onto a pizza peel (I used a flexible cutting board) covered with cornmeal.

8. Spread tomato sauce thinly over the pizza leaving a 1/2 inch border around the crust.

9. Distribute pepperoni and pineapple pieces over pizza dough. Scatter cheese over pizza.

10. Slide pizza off of the pizza peel onto the stone.

11. Check for doneness in 8 – 10 minutes. Depending on thickness of the crust you may need to add an extra 5 – 8 minutes.

12. Allow to cool slightly before serving (cheese needs to set).