Today is National Pizza Day. Why not make a vegetable pizza to celebrate? One of the ways to rev up the healthfulness of pizza is to substitute the traditional white-flour crust with one made from whole wheat flour.
This crust recipe below for 100% whole wheat pizza crust is based on one that is published on the tablespoon.com Web site. It is essentially the recipe for white-flour crust with the flour substitution. Other whole wheat recipes, such as the one on the Food Network Web site, use a mix of both whole wheat and white flour. Some recipes call for honey, others for parmesan cheese. Clearly, pizza crust can be adapted to fit anyone’s taste preferences.
To make a vegetable pizza, use toppings like broccoli, mushrooms, olives, artichoke hearts, and sun dried tomatoes. Part-skim mozzarella is used to keep the fat and calorie content low.
Ingredients:
For the crust:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 T sugar
For the topping:
1 cup (more for an extra cheesy pizza) part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup steamed broccoli florets
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup black olives
1 cup jarred sun dried tomatoes, drained of oil and chopped
1 cup artichoke hearts
Directions for the crust:
1. In a small bowl, combine yeast, water and 1 tsp. sugar. Let sit for five minutes.
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups flour, salt and remaining sugar. Make a well in the center and add yeast mixture and olive oil.
3. Stir using the paddle attachment or a spoon until the dough just comes together, then knead, either by hand (about 5 minutes) or in a stand mixer fixed with the dough hook (3-4 minutes)
4. Add remaining flour in 1 tbsp, increments just until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl or is no longer sticky.
5. Shape dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Punch down risen dough, shape into a ball and place on a lightly floured pizza stone. Roll out into a circle of desired crust thickness and let rest about 10 minutes.
6.Sprinkle the cheese over the crust. Add broccoli, mushrooms, and sun dried tomatoes.
7. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 500 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are baked. Let pizza rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.