Our whole wheat pizza dough without refined flour or sweeteners is the perfect wholesome base for your favorite pizza toppings. It is an excellent whole-grain alternative to traditional pizza crust, takes a few minutes of hands-on time, and can be made ahead.
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Why We Love This Recipe For Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
If you are wondering, can you make pizza dough with whole wheat flour? I am here to say, most assuredly you can. And I am not just saying that because we love whole wheat recipes here at Healthy Seasonal Recipes!
From our classic Whole Wheat Bread to our new Soft Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls, to these Whole Wheat Crepes and Whole Wheat Banana Bread– we love swapping out refined flour in place of nutritious whole grain flour whenever we can! And this foolproof new recipe for pizza dough made with whole wheat flour is no exception. Make it one time and it will become a kitchen staple for you too!
Recipe Highlights
- Quick and easy because it uses quick rising yeast- can be used in as little as 45 mins
- Kid-friendly
- 6 simple ingredients
- Great hearty nutty whole wheat flavor
- Made from scratch
- Wholesome ingredients that are full of nutrition and provide numerous health benefits
- Can be made ahead or frozen
Key Ingredients for this Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
- Whole Wheat Flour: You can use either regular whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour. If using white whole wheat, this healthy pizza crust will have a less-pronounced wheat flavor and be lighter in color but will still provide the same nutritional benefits as its darker counterpart.
- Rapid Rise Yeast: This recipe calls for slightly more instant or active dry yeast because it has to work a little harder to make the dough rise than in an all-purpose flour recipe. And be sure to make sure your yeast has not expired.
- Warm Water: Water temperature must be between 120-130°F to activate the fast-acting or rapid-rise yeast; do not add water warmer than 140°F as it will kill the yeast. Adding very warm water allows you to directly add the yeast with the rest of the ingredients versus proofing it first and then adding it in, which saves an extra step and a little time!
- Maple Syrup: Used to act as food for the yeast and to help with the rise.
- Kitchen Staples: Olive oil and salt
How To Make Pizza Dough with Whole Wheat Flour
Step 1: Add Dry Ingredients to Mixer
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add flour, yeast, and salt. Mix until combined, about 30 seconds.
Step 2: Add Liquid Ingredients to Mixer
Add water, oil, and maple syrup. Stir ingredients with a silicone spatula until a clump begins to form. Then, knead with the dough hook on medium-low speed until smooth and just slightly sticky, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Allow Dough to Rest
Spray a medium-sized bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place the dough ball in the bowl, turning to coat all sides in the oil. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place, that’s draft-free until the dough does not spring back when touched, about 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Step 4: Preheat the Oven
While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 425°F, and if using a pizza stone, place it on the middle rack. If using a pizza stone, make sure to let it fully heat for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5: Make the Pizza
Once ready, gently deflate by punching down the dough with your knuckles and remove it from the bowl. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll or stretch the dough into a thin 12-inch round.
If you like a raised edge to your pizza, you can work the crust into a round using your hands instead of using a rolling pin. It is helpful to do this on a greased pizza pan, this is the kind of pizza pan I like, or make sure your surface is well-floured. Press the dough and stretch it to the desired size leaving a raised edge along the outside.
You can also place the shaped pizza on a sheet of parchment and bake it directly on the oven rack. Once it is shaped, top it with your favorite pizza toppings and bake until the cheese is melted, the crust is crispy and the pizza is starting to turn golden brown. Cut into eight wedges and enjoy!
FAQs and Expert tips For Healthy Pizza Dough
Yes this pizza dough can be made ahead. After punching down the dough in step 5, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. When ready to make the pizza, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling, topping, and baking.
To freeze the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap after it has risen and place it in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to bake into a pizza, thaw in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight, then let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Roll, top, and then bake!
If you’d prefer to use white whole wheat flour, feel free to swap it for the traditional whole wheat flour. This lighter variety of whole wheat will produce a lighter-colored crust with a less robust wheat flavor but will still provide the same health benefits.
The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can use either dry active yeast or instant dry yeast to create this healthy pizza dough! Whether using instant yeast or active dry yeast, you can blend the yeast with the dry ingredients and add very warm water, 120-130°F, to activate the yeast.
Yes, in fact we often do! You can rest the two balls of dough in two separate bowls. We find it is easier to roll the ball into a circle this way. Otherwise, if you cut it in half after it rises the pizzas can come out irregularly shaped. Making a double batch is also great if you want to freeze one of the balls of dough.
Topping Suggestions for Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
This dough is full of hearty, nutty flavors and pairs beautifully with bold toppings. While we love this homemade pizza dough with classic pizza sauce and melted mozzarella, here are some additional topping suggestions:
- Roasted vegetables: Try small cubes of roasted butternut squash or roasted cauliflower or broccoli. Our roasted zucchini and eggplant would be a great topping with this pizza dough. Or try a blend of roasted veggies. If the pieces of veggies are large, cut them before adding on top of the pizza.
- Mushrooms: The woodsy earthy taste of mushrooms are so good on this whole grain pizza crust. We use these sauteed portobello mushrooms, roasted portobello mushrooms, cut into strips or sauteed white mushrooms.
- Spicy Italian sausage: A little goes a long way! We browned a little spicy turkey sausage and added it to the top of this pizza shown in the photos. It’s a great alternative to pepperoni. It was excellent with marinara, green peppers and basil leaves. Its also great all on it’s own on a traditional tomato cheese pizza.
- Pesto or Fresh basil. Try our homemade pesto or purchase it. Use instead of tomato sauce for the base of the pizza.
- Gourmet Ingredients: Black olives and strongly flavored ingredients like oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes are excellent with the nutty taste of whole wheat dough.
- Cheeses: Creamy nutty cheeses like Gruyère cheese and Fontina are great with the stronger wheat flavor of this crust. If using shredded mozzarella, we like to add on another hard Italian cheese like Asiago, Romano or Pecorino cheeses.
Pizza Recipes To Try
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
- Author: Stephanie Olson
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Total Time: 1 hour -
Yield: 1 – 12 inch pizza
Description
Our whole wheat pizza dough without refined flour or sweeteners is the perfect wholesome base for your favorite pizza toppings. It is an excellent whole-grain alternative to traditional pizza crust, takes a few minutes of hands-on time, and can be made ahead.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour or white whole-wheat flour, plus additional for rolling
- 1 packet instant or rapid rise yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup water, 120-130 degrees F
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Place flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix until combined about 30 seconds.
- Add water, oil, and maple syrup (or honey.) Stir together with a silicone spatula until it starts to clump together, then knead with the dough hook on medium-low speed until smooth and just slightly sticky, about 5 minutes.
- Spray a medium-sized bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl turning to coat on all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm draft-free area until the dough does not spring back when touched, 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and if using a pizza stone place it on the middle rack.
- Punch down the dough by gently deflating it with your knuckles and remove it from the bowl. Dust the work surface with flour. Roll or stretch the dough into a thin 12-inch round. Top and bake as directed in your recipe.
Notes
You can use either traditional whole wheat flour or white whole wheat which is made with a variety of wheat that is lighter in color and has a less-pronounced wheat flavor.
Active Dry Yeast: Feel free to proof first but to save time, blend the yeast with the dry ingredients and add very warm water, 120-130°F, to activate the yeast.
Instant Yeast: Simply add the yeast to your dry ingredients and follow the rest of the recipe.
Make Ahead: In step 5 after punching down the dough it may be wrapped well and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.
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Prep Time: 12 minutes
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Cook Time: 48 minutes
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Category: Main Course
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Method: Baked
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Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the pizza
- Calories: 116
- Sugar: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
Keywords: whole wheat pizza crust, healthy pizza dough recipe, wheat pizza dough, pizza wheat, pizza with wheat crust, pizza with whole wheat crust, whole wheat pizza dough