Whole Wheat or Spelt Pizza Crust

Making a good whole wheat or spelt pizza crust from scratch isn’t that difficult. Give this easy homemade pizza dough a try. Top with your favorite pizza fixings — sauce, vegan cheese, plenty of vegetables, plant proteins, and herbs — and don’t be shy about loading it up — this is a sturdy crust!

I’m usually too lazy to make pizza dough from scratch, what with the options for good, natural brands of crust so widely available. But once in a while, I I like to make crust from scratch.

There’s nothing like it, and it’s really not that difficult. There isn’t a lot of hands-on time; it’s mostly the waiting for the dough to rise.

This recipe for whole wheat and spelt pizza crust is one that I’ve relied on for years, when those rare stretches of extra time come along.

There’s not much that goes into making pizza dough, ingredient-wise. All you need for this one is:

• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons natural granulated sugar
• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour or light spelt flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

A nice touch is adding an herb blend and/or black pepper to your crust. Try a combination of Italian seasoning and some freshly ground pepper for added flavor and visual interest.

Just a little patience! After kneading the dough, you’ll place it in a floured bowl, cover with a tea towel, and put it in a warm place. I turn the oven on for a minute or two, then turn it off. It should be just warm, not hot. Then, let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It only needs one rising.

After the dough has risen, you’ll punch it dough down, divide it, and form into two rounds. Roll out one round on a well-floured board and stretch to fit a 12- to 14-inch round pizza pan, then repeat with the other.

Yes, you’ve probably seen expert pizza makers toss the dough in the air to stretch it, but that takes a lot of practice. We’ll stick with the rolling pin.

Do you love homemade vegan pizza? Explore this roundup of creative vegan pizza recipes.

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Yield: Two 12-inch crusts

Whole Wheat or Spelt Pizza Crust

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Once in a blue moon, I like to make crust from scratch. This recipe for whole wheat and spelt pizza crust is one that I’ve relied on for years.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours 2 seconds

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes 2 seconds

Ingredients

• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons natural granulated sugar
• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour or whole spelt flour (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Combine the yeast with 2 cups of warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes to dissolve. Stir in the oil and sugar.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours and salt. Make a well in the center and stir in the yeast mixture. Work everything together. first with a wooden spoon and then your hands, to form a dough.
3. Turn it out onto a well-floured board and knead it for 5 to 7 minutes, adding flour until the dough loses its stickiness.
4. Place the dough in a floured bowl, cover it with a tea towel, and put it in a warm place. Let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
5. Punch the dough down. divide it. and form into two rounds. Roll out one round on a well-floured board and stretch to fit a 12- to 14-inch round pizza pan, then repeat with the other. 
6. Sprinkle the pans and sprinkle them with cornmeal. Lay the rounds on the pans. Arrange toppings of choice on the dough and bake as directed in recipes. Usually, the oven temperature is set to 425º F (218º C).

Notes

Though using whole spelt flour will result in a heartier crust, much as if using whole wheat flour, it will also work using light spelt flour.

Try this crust with:

Vegan Artichoke Pizza with Red Bell Peppers

Photos of pizza dough: Bigstock