Pizza Margherita
Dough
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (100°F to 115°F)
2 tablespoons honey
3 1/2-3 3/4 cups King Arthur 100% Organic White Whole Wheat Flour
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Toppings
1 recipe Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
2 cups diced fresh mozzarella cheese
12 fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon bread salt or other fine salt
Preheat the oven to 425°F. If you're using a baking stone, preheat the oven to 450°F.
To make the dough: Stir together the yeast, water, honey, and 1 cup of the flour in a large mixing bowl, in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in the bucket of a bread machine. Cover the mixture and let it stand for 30 minutes; it'll be very soupy.
Add 2 cups of the remaining flour, the vital wheat gluten, and the salt to the yeast mixture, along with the olive oil and sesame seeds. Mix and knead the dough-by hand, mixer, or bread machine-for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to make a smooth elastic dough. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for at least 2 hours, or until it's doubled in size.
Assembling the pizza: Divide the dough in half, roll each piece on a floured surface into a 13" to 15" round (depending on the size of your pizza pans), and place the rounds on lightly oiled pans. (A 13" diameter yields a thin crust; a 15" diameter yields a cracker-thin crust.) Turn in the overhanging edge to form a rim. If you plan to use a baking stone to bake the pizza, place the dough on two baker's peels, dusted with cornmeal or surfaced with parchment.
Brush each round with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Divide the tomato slices between the rounds. Divide the cheese and sprinkle it on top of the tomatoes. Divide the basil leaves and sprinkle them on top of the cheese. Divide and sprinkle on the salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
Bake the pizzas in the pans for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top and bottom crusts are nicely browned. If you're using baking stones, bake for 15 to 25 minutes (leaving the pizza on the parchment), or until the crust is nicely browned on the bottom. Cut into wedges and serve immediately, garnished with additional fresh basil, if desired. Yield: 2 pizzas, about a dozen large slices.
Reviews
02/05/2010
I am hooked on this recipe!!! used my bread maker to mix the dough, I have made the recipe two times in two weeks turned out great, I think I even like it better than white dough pizza. Easy to make and great taste.
01/09/2010
this recipe is also great for calzones!
01/08/2010
This is the easiest wheat dough to work with that I've ever made, and I've made a lot! I use a stand mixer on speed 2 and I ended up kneading the dough (on speed 2) for the full 5 minutes and added quite a bit of flour in the process. I will definitely make this again. I left out the vital wheat gluten since I had none, and this made two very big thin crusts.
12/30/2009
Ok, I have to say that I messed this one up pretty bad !! I made two seperate batches - one with white whole wheat and one with all pupose flour (another recipe by KAF). I was going for the wheat one ( trying to be healthy in my choices..) I was so thrilled to watch my wheat dough rise nicely over the other one.. I left them both in the oven ( overn was off - of course ..) to rise. Then I was distracted, my son wanted his pizza first with the regular flour ( no healthy stuff, Mom, he said..). I was busy kneeding and laying the topping etc.. and tuned on the oven at 450. When I opened the door to put the pizza, I realized, I left the my wheat dough in a plastic bowl in there the whole time ..well the rest is history as they say.. My husband and son loved their pizzas - I had throw mine out with the bowl.. But I am detrmined to try again..
09/08/2009
This was my first time using active yeast to bake anything so I was a bit nervous, however the pizza came out fantastic! I did not use the gluten or sesame seeds, you don't need them. The dough needs at least an hour and a half to rise, and two if you have time to wait. It was very sticky so use a lot of flour, and pre-baking before adding the toppings is a must. (No more than 8 minutes) While the toppings are for a white pizza I added tomato sauce, black olives, feta cheese, and artichoke hearts to bring in the flavors of my favorite greek pizza. Since our college dorms have built in kitchens it's nice to learn how to cook and experiment and this was the perfect recipe to do so :) I will definitely be using this in the future!
08/24/2009
I did not use the wheat gluten, sesame seeds, or olive oil (Smart Balance instead). I pre-baked the crust for 8 minutes before putting on my own toppings and baking for another 10-12 minutes on a stone. I agree this is a very satisfying whole-wheat crust. The soupy mixture was a new way for me to make pizza dough. I appreciate your explanation of baking technique. Thanks again.
08/21/2009
We did this tonight but, it being far to hot to heat the oven, grilled it! It was amazing!!! Fresh tomatos from the farmers market... we added some garlic and olives...
05/23/2009
I have tried several whole wheat pizza crusts over the years and this is the BEST one. It is my standard recipe that I use all the time for any type of toppings, not just margherita. I do not use the vital wheat gluten and it's still great. I have also let it rise for less than 2 hrs when in a hurry, and it is more than acceptable. I have the best success when stretching the dough quite thin and baking on the bottom rack of the oven for 15-20 min. If you want a thicker crust I would recommend prebaking for 5-10 minutes, then add toppings, then finish for 15-20 min. Thank you KAF!!
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