100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
on Jul 23, 2013, Updated Aug 28, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
I am a big fan of pizza night and I have the best Whole Wheat Pizza Dough to share. This crust is made with 100% whole wheat flour and it makes a perfectly chewy whole grain crust that everyone will rave about.
Whole wheat pizza crust often gets a bad rap, but this recipe will not disappoint. It’s an overnight recipe- although it works just about as well if you make it in the morning and let it sit until dinner. Something beautiful happens when you let the dough sit and give the starches time to break down a bit. The texture and flavor is unmatched.
This recipe turns out an amazingly chewy yet tender pizza crust and you’ll never go back to your old recipe (or baking method for that matter) again! Those whole grains are just better for you in general and the fiber aids in digestion and helps everyone feel full a lot longer. You can top it with this super simple homemade pizza sauce using only THREE ingredients!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The dough can be made ahead of time and rises in the fridge, giving you flexibility with your schedule.
- Enjoy a healthier pizza crust that’s packed with fiber and whole grain goodness that really keeps you and those kiddos full a lot longer.
- Whether you like a thin, crispy crust or a thicker, chewy one, you can easily adjust the dough to your preference.
- Make dinner a fun family activity to let the kids decorate their own personal pizzas.
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – Whole wheat
- Sugar – Or honey
- Instant yeast
- Sauce – You can go with a classic red sauce, or spice it up with a white, pesto, or barbecue sauce.
- Cheese – I like to use fresh grated Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Toppings – Fully customizable, but we like to use pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, bell peppers, red onion, and diced tomato.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make 100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Step #1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast, water, and olive oil to form a sticky dough. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours or up to 3 days.
Step #2. Bring dough to room temperature for 1 hour, and preheat the oven to 500°F with a baking stone or cookie sheet.
Step #3. Divide dough, roll out to desired thickness on parchment paper, and top with sauce, cheese, and toppings.
Step #4. Slide pizza onto the hot stone or sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbly and golden. Repeat with remaining dough.
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t have a stone you can turn your biggest cookie sheet upside down (so that the flat side is up) or use a rimless baking sheet. If you are using a stone let the stone heat for 30 minutes. If using a baking sheet, let it heat for 10 minutes.
If you can’t wait that long try this recipe you can make my mom’s famous pizza dough recipe (and it’s great with whole wheat flour too!)
Hot water will kill the yeast. Use lukewarm water that is about 105 degrees F. If the water is much hotter than that you can actually kill the yeast, so don’t get it too hot.
Pizza dough freezes incredibly well. Once your pizza dough has risen you can freeze the ball of dough. Simply spray the dough on all sides with non-stick spray or olive oil and store in a freezer safe bag. It will stay fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before you use it.
Expert Tips
- Using cold water in the dough slows down the yeast activity, allowing for a longer, more flavorful fermentation.
- A preheated baking stone will give your crust a better texture by evenly distributing heat.
- Rolling the dough on parchment paper makes it easier to transfer to the oven without losing shape.
- Try different dough thicknesses to find your perfect balance of crispy and chewy.
How to Serve and Store 100% Whole Wheat Pizza
A side salad like caesar, antipasto salad, or chef salad is a classic pairing with pizza, providing a fresh and tangy contrast. Garlic knots or breadsticks also add a fun side!
Store any leftover pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven at 375°F for 5-7 minutes. Once the dough has risen you can freeze the ball of dough. Simply spray the dough on all sides with non-stick spray or olive oil and store in a freezer safe bag. It will stay fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before you use it.
More Pizza Recipes to Consider
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/3 cups cold water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- pizza sauce, (about 2 cups)
- fresh grated Parmesan cheese, (about 1 cup)
- mozzarella cheese, (about 3 cups)
- toppings
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix to combine. Add the cold water and oil and mix until a soft dough forms. The dough will be sticky to the touch and a lot wetter than a traditional yeast bread dough. This is how it’s supposed to be.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 3 days. The dough will not rise much in the fridge and that’s ok.
- Pull the dough out the the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for one hour before using. While the dough is resting preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
- If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to heat, too. I would recommend using a stone for baking this pizza. If you don’t have a stone you can turn your biggest cookie sheet upside down (so that the flat side is up) or use a rimless sheet. If you are using a stone let the stone heat for 30 minutes. If using a baking sheet, let it heat for 15 minutes.
- When the oven is hot, cut your dough in half. Place half of the dough on a piece of parchment paper that is 18 inches long. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough (on top of the parchment paper) into a 12 to 14 inch circle. The dough should be pretty thin (and the thickness of the dough determines the size of pizza in the end). I like mine very thin so I roll it out to about 1/4 inch in thickness. My husband likes a more “bready” pizza so I make one that is about 1/2 inch thick for him. The dough will rise a bit while baking and the very thin does not get crispy. I say try a few thicknesses out and see which you prefer.
- Top with 1 cup of pizza sauce, 1/4 cup grate Parmesan, 1 to 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella, and toppings of your choice.
- When the pizza is all ready, slide the pizza, which is on the parchment paper, onto a rimless cookie sheet or one that is upside down. This will help you get the pizza to the oven.
- Open the oven and slide the pizza which is still on the parchment paper, from the cookie sheet onto the hot baking stone or hot cookie sheet. I just tug on the edge of the parchment paper with my hands and slide it on to the stone. BE CAREFUL! Your oven is set to 500. It’s super hot, obviously! Make sure the babies are out of the way and be careful when sliding the pizza into the oven.
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the top is bubbly and the edges are starting to brown. When the pizza is done, tug the edge of the parchment paper and slide the pizza back onto the cookie sheet you used to transfer it to the oven. Again, be careful!
- Let your stone reheat for 10 minutes. While the stone is heating, repeat the whole thing with the second half of the dough and bake the same way.
- Enjoy, enjoy enjoy!
- I serve it right off of the parchment paper (which gets all dark and cooked looking) or I’ll tear off a new piece and serve it on a crisp white sheet of parchment. Very pretty!
Notes
- This pizza dough can hang out in the fridge a LONG time (up to 72 hours) and it just gets chewier with time, that being said, I’ve skimped on the resting period too and it’s worked fine. If it’s only resting for the afternoon in the fridge, it’ll work too. Don’t get too hung up on the chilling time but do know that it does improve in texture and flavor over time.
-
- Try different dough thicknesses to find your perfect balance of crispy and chewy.
- A preheated baking stone will give your crust a better texture by evenly distributing heat.
- When I let my kids pick what they want on it and then have them help me “decorate the pizza” aka add the toppings, they are much more likely to eat all the veggies. We love all the traditional vegetables – mushrooms, black olives, bell peppers, red onion, and diced tomato top our list.
For nitrate free pepperoni, Applegate Farms makes a sandwich style pepperoni that is nitrate free and super good. My kids can’t tell the difference.
I make a pizza in the summertime with no sauce, a little olive oil, italian seasoning, then top with thinly sliced veggies. I use tomato, squash (summer and zucchini), onion, bell pepper, jalapenos, fresh salad peppers & fresh organic basil. Then I top with mozzarella, my families favorite.
Just got done w/ my first slice, you are not lying when you say the dough is a little wet! But it was a huge hit with my boyfriend and two kids:) I made one w/out sauce only spinach, feta and motz cheese, olives, chicken breast, mushrooms and yellow pepper slices. Oh my was it good! Thx for your dough:)
I love homemade pizza! Instead of added plain sugar, try using raw honey instead! So delicious!
Do you have any nutrition info for the recipes?
Nope, but I bet there’s some kind of ninja tool online that might be able to tell you! Good luck 🙂
Can I freeze the other half of my dough to use later? I’m just wondering how it might hold up… Thanks!
Hmmm. I haven’t done it. BUT if you click on the link to One Lovely Life right under the recipe I know that she addresses how to do that with her dough and I’m sure it would work just about the same. Let me know how it works!! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Hey Melissa, do you use a certain kind of yeast for this. I get so confused between all the different types!
I definitely like instant dry yeast best… I’m not sure of all the kinds either but the brand is SAF and the colors on the pack are white with red and blue! There is another kind that is just white and blue packaging and I know that I don’t like it. I swear it had a really weird taste that comes through in the bread. Super not information but maybe that helps?! Red Star is popular among other bloggers but I haven’t tried theirs. Let me know how it goes!
Are you able to make the crust in a bread machine as well?
I’ve never done it and I don’t think I’d recommend it. The dough is a LOT softer than a traditional yeast dough and I think it might be too sticky to get back out of the machine once it was done rising. It seriously takes 3 minutes to stir it together by hand… I don’t think I’d dirty the machine for it 🙂 Let me know how it turns out!
Really yummy, the kids loved it and it takes less time to make. An all round winner.
Definitely trying this very very soon! I love that your health views are exactly the same as mine 🙂 I think you carry yours out better than I do, but you also don’t have Taco Bell 1/2 a mile away…