Soaked Whole Grain Pizza Crust Recipes

WHOLE-MULTIGRAIN PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot. Add the bulgur and quinoa and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer the grains to a fine-mesh strainer and hold under cold water to stop the cooking. Let the grains drain in the strainer for 15 minutes, then spread them out on a thick layer of paper towels to absorb any extra moisture. Meanwhile, coarsely grind the flaxseeds in a spice grinder, just to break them open.
• Stir together the warm water, agave and yeast in a measuring cup or small bowl. Let sit until a small layer of foam develops at the top, 3 to 5 minutes. (If this doesn't happen, discard and try again with new yeast.)
• Whisk the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl; add the foamy yeast mixture and olive oil and mix together with a stiff rubber spatula. When the dough starts to come together, mix in the cooked grains, ground flaxseeds and sunflower seeds; form the dough into a uniform ball in the center of the bowl. Be sure to scrape and use any dough stuck to the sides. The dough will be very sticky at this stage. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour. Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on a clean, dry work surface. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, working in just enough flour to make the dough less sticky but still moist to the touch. Flour your hands periodically to prevent sticking. Form the dough into one single ball or divide it into smaller balls. Place the dough ball(s) on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the dough can be shaped and cooked as desired.

SOAKED WHOLE GRAIN PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• Add the flour and olive oil into a large bowl.
• Stir together until 'pebbly'.
• Mix the vinegar with 3/4 cup of warm water.
• Add the vinegar/water to the flour, stirring to moisten.
• Keep adding in water, as needed, to create a dough that is a bit sticky to the touch. As the dough soaks, the water will absorb.
• Make sure everything is mixed well, then cover the bowl with a tea towel.
• Let the dough sit for 8-24 hours on your countertop.
• About 20 minutes before you're ready to make the pizza, knead in the baking powder and salt. Make sure to knead the dough well, as you want to evenly distribute both.
• Let the dough sit for another 20 minutes, allowing the leavener to work.
• Preheat the oven to 400° F.
• Divide the dough into either two or four equal pieces.
• Roll each out to your desired thickness (we vary here with the girls and dad rolling out cracker thin, and Sam and I at about 1/4 inch).
• Place the dough onto a pre-oiled baking sheet.
• Pre-bake the crust for four minutes.
• Remove, add sauce, cheese, and/or any toppings you like.
• Bake for another 7-10 minutes until it is your desired doneness.
• Cool, cut, and enjoy!

WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Whisk the warm water, yeast, and honey together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes or until foamy on top. *If you don't have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula in the next step.
• Add the olive oil, salt, and flour. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. It will be slightly tacky to the touch. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough can be a little too heavy for a mixer to knead it, but you can certainly use the mixer on low speed if needed instead. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger - if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading.
• Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil or nonstick spray- just use the same bowl you used for the dough. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 2 hours or until double in size. (Tip: For the warm environment on a particularly cold day, heat your oven to 150°F (66°C). Turn the oven off, place the dough inside, and keep the door slightly ajar. This will be a warm environment for your dough to rise. After about 30 minutes, close the oven door to trap the air inside with the rising dough. When it's doubled in size, remove from the oven.)
• Preheat oven to 475°F (246°C). Allow it to heat for at least 15-20 minutes as you shape the pizza. (If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to preheat as well.) Lightly grease baking sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray or olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal, which gives the crust extra crunch and flavor.
• When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough in half. (If not making 2 pizzas, freeze half of the dough for another time- see freezing instructions below.) On a lightly floured work surface using lightly floured hands or rolling pin, gently flatten the dough into a disc. Place on prepared pan and, using lightly floured hands, stretch and flatten the disc into a 12-inch circle. Lift the edge of the dough up to create a lip around the edges. I simply pinch the edges up to create the rim. If using a pizza stone, place the dough directly on baker's peels dusted with cornmeal.
• Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for a few minutes as you prepare your pizza toppings.
• To prevent the filling from making your pizza crust soggy, brush the top lightly with olive oil. Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Top with your favorite toppings and bake for 15-16 minutes.
• Slice hot pizza and serve immediately. Store leftover pizza covered tightly in the refrigerator and reheat as you prefer. Baked pizza slices may be frozen up to 1 month.

AMAZING WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
• Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.
• Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.

WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In medium bowl, dissolve yeast in water and let sit until foamy. Add flour; mix until well combined. Stir in salt. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 45 minutes.
• Lightly coat 12 inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. Scrape dough out of bowl and onto prepared pan. With floured hands, press dough into circles to edges of pan.
• Bake 15 minutes or until edges are brown and crisp. Top as desired.