Amazing Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Ever since my sister-in-law gave me a breadmaker for my birthday I've been LOVING the dough setting.  We make homemade pizza a lot now.  And it's great- we save money, we know exactly what's going in and on it, and the kids can make their own.  Our favorite around these parts is ham and pineapple.  Big Sister does her best Ponyo impersonation, "I want HAAAM!" and laughs hysterically. :)  This recipe makes a great pizza crust that has a higher whole wheat to white flour ratio than most, but you'd never know it.  It's really is awesome crust.  Sometimes I'll add in some hemp seeds or ground flax seed to sneak some extra healthy into my fam.  Shhh!  Don't tell!  I've included directions for the bread machine and the old fashioned way if you don't have a sis-in-law to spoil you.

My pizzas never look beautiful so I borrowed this pic from this blog.  Don't you just want to rip a piece right out of your computer and devour it??

photo source

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. white flour
1 Tbs. active dry yeast

If you're using the bread maker, just put these things in the order listed above into your machine and choose the dough setting.  Then see assembly instructions below.

If you're doing it the old fashioned way:

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.

Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.      
         
Assembling the Pizza:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.               

Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.

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