Whole Wheat Pizza Dough w/Rosemary

So, Tim and I try to eat healthy as much as possible, and we are pretty successful at it.  But that doesn't mean we don't get a hankering for some comfort food or some great Pizza!  When these cravings happen I try to modify the recipe to make it more healthy.  This weekend we made Pizza, but with a fantastic Whole Wheat crust.

I love any opportunity to use my massive stand mixer.  This beast is one of my favorite kitchen tools.  I know there is romance in making bread by hand with the whole "make a hole in the middle of the flour to add in the wet ingredients", but I think having my lovely beast with the massive dough hook does an excellent job.  And I have the beast, so I might as well use her, right?  Oh, KitchenAid Professional Stand Mixer with your lovely 6 Qt working bowl, your heavy aluminum paddle and hook attachments... How I love you!

• 2 C Whole Wheat Flour + more if needed depending on humidity
• 1 C Bread Flour (if you find that in whole wheat, let me know!
• 1 packet (2 1/4 t) rapid rise, fast acting, dry yeast.
• 1 1/2 t granulated sugar (or honey)
• 1 C warm (between 90 to 110 F) water
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1/4 C Olive Oil
• 1 t crushed dried rosemary (but if you have fresh, totally use it, chopped fine)

Combine the yeast, warm water & sugar in a bowl to let bloom for about 5 minutes.  The concoction will develop a head of foam which will help the bread rise.  You can skip this step if you have uber special yeast.  Even so, it never hurts to give your bread this head start.  


Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, add in the flours and salt.  Stir on low adding in the yeast mixture.  Add in the oil and beat until a dough forms.

Switch the paddle attachment for the dough hook and knead the dough for at least 3 minutes on medium.  I've under estimated the time on this step before and the dough didn't rise as much as it did this past weekend when I set a timer on the kneading cycle.  


Drizzle a little oil over the dough ball and flip the ball over and over to for an nice coating of oil and make sure to spread the oil to the walls of the bowl as well.  Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1.5 hrs.  I was lucky to be baking cooking during the rising time and thus had a warm oven to place the dough bowl on top of.  The mass more than doubled in size and smelled wonderful!

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Pizza crust has an amazing quality in its ability to mold to a person's preference.  The same dough, when handled differently can produce a different texture.  So, for a fluffier texture, stretch out the dough to desired shape and allow a second rising.  Cover with toppings and bake on cookie sheet, or in large cake pan for deep dish crust.  Be sure to coat pan with non-stick lube of choice.  You could also toss down some corn meal like the pros do.

For a crispier texture, don't allow the second rising.  Stretch thin, top with preferred ingredients and sauce and place in oven.  If you have a baking stone, the crust will thank you for it!

I used a modified version of these two.  I did not allow the second rising, and pulled the crust fairly thin, but since I don't have a stone big enough (ours broke) and don't have a pizza peel (as the stone needs to heat up with your oven to prevent breakage) to make the pizza on, we used a large cookie sheet.  The kind with a small edge.  The resulting crust was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  

I'm not really a bread person (by choice, as I do really love the stuff.  South Beach has made me fear it!), but this crust I ate.  It was the lovely nuttiness of the wheat and the subtle hint of rosemary married with a touch of kosher salt.  Awesome.

Bake with toppings in the 350 F oven for 20 - 30 minutes until desired doneness.

Topping options:
Limitless, really... but if you are somehow at a loss, try any combination of these.  These lists are nowhere near comprehensive.

Your meats:
Sausage
Pepperoni
Bacon
Ham
Anchovies
Smoked Salmon
BBQ Chicken

Your Veggies:
Onions
Mushrooms
Fresh Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Peppers
Roasted Peppers
Banana Peppers
Spinach
Olives
Artichokes
Eggplant
Broccoli

Flavor Additions:
Rosemary
Oregano
Basil
Pesto
Garlic
Herb Blends such as Italian
Crushed Red Pepper

Cheese:
Mozzarella
Provolone
Ricotta
Goat Cheese
Cheddar
Pepper Jack
Colby
Fresh Mozzarella
Parmesan
Romano

This weekend we had:
Sausage, Mushrooms, Onions, Pepperoni, Muir Glen Pizza Sauce (one day I'll make my own, but no doubt if I guess it will taste more like pasta sauce... is there a difference?), Fresh Basil, Fresh Oregano, Fresh Garlic, Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan & Romano.