Whole Wheat Pizza

I love pizza, my husband loves pizza, and my kids love pizza.... in fact I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't love pizza. It can be simple or complex and it's one food you are able to completely personalize. However, one thing pizza does not have a reputation of being is healthy. But it doesn't need to be that way. This variation of pizza has a whole wheat crust and homemade sauce with no sugar!  Not to mention it's completely amazing :)

First we will start with the crust

Dissolve 2 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast in 1 cup of warm water. If the water is too cold it won't activate the yeast, but if it's too hot it will kill the yeast. 110 degrees typically recommended. After the yeast has dissolved stir in 1 teaspoon honey and let it sit for about 5 minutes. It will begin to foam; that is how you will know the yeast is working.






While the yeast is sitting, mix 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Then form a well (a hole) in the middle of the flour. Add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of honey, and then the yeast water mixture. Stir together in a food processor or stand mixer with the dough hook for about 5 minutes. You may have to scrape the sides of the bowl as it mixes. If you do not have either, it can be mixed and kneaded by hand (this will take a little bit more work but trust me it's totally worth it!) The dough will end up being a ball running around the bowl. If it is too sticky add flour; 1 tablespoon at at time until it is a good consistency. 
 Now, to be perfectly honest the crust on a pizza is pretty much just like an edible plate that holds all the good stuff (like cheese) but it doesn't have to be! I like to add a little flavor to my crust. This time I added in 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon basil. But really it's your crust get creative as you like. If this was my husband's personal pizza I'm sure crushed red pepper flakes would have been added in as well.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let it sit for about 45 min. to an hour or until it has doubled in size.

While the dough is sitting it's a perfect time to make some pizza sauce! Combine 1 1/2 cups of crushed tomatoes with 1 can of tomato paste (6 oz.) Again, this part you can customize as much as you want and add in the flavors you like. I went with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir it all together.

 I also stir in 1/4 cup of red wine. This is completely optional but I think it gives it nice flavor. Again, make this your sauce with flavors you enjoy (my husband would be adding crushed red pepper flakes again) Let the sauce simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This helps bring out all the flavor and cooks off the alcohol if you did add wine to it.

This also gives you time to prepare any toppings you may want on your pizza; such as chop up veggies or grate cheese.

When the dough is ready punch it down, shape back into a ball and then roll out on a greased pizza pan. It can also be rolled out on a baking sheet if a pizza pan is not available. Top with sauce, cheese, and anything else your heart may desire. Tonight was just a plain old pepperoni night at our house (except for my daughters just cheese section) Bake at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!!