Honey Wheat Pizza Dough

This is a shockingly easy recipe for fresh pizza dough.  I never knew it could be this simple!  You barely have to wait for it to rise at all.  The result is a thin crust, but it's tasty and has a fantastic texture.  And best of all, it's completely whole wheat.  I am going to be turning to this recipe again and again.

The recipe below makes enough dough for one large pizza, or two small.  I opted to make two - one more exotic for myself (sun dried tomato chicken sausage, artichoke hearts) and one less so for the husband (just cheese).  You can put on whatever you like, but be warned that the thin crust won't hold up really heavy toppings very well, so you'll need to eat with a knife and fork.

I found the basis for this recipe at allrecipes.  My life will never be the same.

Honey Wheat Pizza Dough

makes one large pizza

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 ounce dry yeast (in a packet)

1 cup warm water

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Combine the yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes, until creamy.

2.  Stir the flour, wheat germ, and salt together in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center, and pour the honey and the yeast mixture into the well.  Mix everything together well.  You can start with a spoon or spatula, but you'll probably have to use your hands to get everything properly incorporated into a ball.

3.  Preheat the oven to 400.  Set the dough aside to let it rise for a few minutes while the oven warms up, about 10 minutes or so.  Roll out the dough on a floured board, or divide into multiple pieces and then roll out.

4.  Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray and place the pizza dough on it.  Poke a few holes in the dough using a fork or knife.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with desired toppings.  Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until crisp at the edges.  Serve.

Enjoy!