easy healthy pizza dough

3 cups flour any variety
(I prefer a whole grain like whole wheat or spelt, you may want to try a combination of 2 cups of bread flour with 1 cup of whole wheat flour)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 packet yeast
1 cup warm/hot water (120 degrees)
scant tbsp salt

-Put yeast and sugar in large bowl
-Pour hot water over yeast and sugar so it swirls up
-Allow yeast to “proof” for 5 minutes (you should see the yeast foam up on the surface of the water)
-Once yeast has started, add olive oil and salt
-Add 3 cups of flour, mix together (I do it by hand with a wooden spoon) most of the way and let it sit 1-2 minutes
(you could also use a Kitchenaid or other dough mixer)
-Scrape the bowl, knead for 5 minutes and add a little flour if necessary until you have a nice elastic consistency – should not stick to your hands.
-If you’re using all whole grain you can add a little gluten and/or knead for a few extra minutes so that the dough ends up w/the right consistency
-Lightly coat dough ball or inside of bowl with a little oil so it wont stick while rising
-Cover and let rise for 45 minutes  (this helps with the final consistency of the dough)

After 45 minutes shape and top your dough with sauce and desired toppings, bake, and enjoy.

I like shaping mine on a pizza peel (paddle) and letting it sit and rise for 15 minutes before putting the toppings on, and then sliding it onto a preheated pizza stone in a 500 degree oven.  A delicious hot pizza is ready in about 10 minutes.
Some people prefer using a pan and baking at 425 for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

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