With a crisp crust and a chewy center, this whole wheat pizza dough is perfect for homemade pizzas and flatbreads. It’s super simple to make, is easy to handle, and will be ready to use after 1 hour of resting time!
Our viral basic homemade pizza dough recipe got a healthier makeover. You’ll love that this version made with a blend of whole wheat flour for extra nutrients but still uses bread flour for a soft and chewy texture! It’s the perfect combo.
If you’ve tried 100% whole wheat pizza dough and didn’t like it, then this recipe is for you. It’s for those of us who love our white bread & dough too.
We’ve recently started making thin-crust pizzas on our outdoor Blackstone griddle. It yields a very similar taste and texture to an outdoor pizza oven. (More on that in a future post!)
Pizza Dough Ingredients
- Bread flour, sifted
- Whole wheat flour, sifted
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Instant dry yeast
- Lukewarm water (105℉ to 115℉)
- Olive Oil for greasing
Yes. The resulting crust won’t be as chewy due to the lower protein (gluten).
You can, but the recipe blend as written is our favorite version. 100% whole wheat flour will require a little more water. Since taste preferences are very personal, customize the flour blend to your tastes.
You can. Active dry yeast will need to be dissolved in the warm water before adding to the dough. Instant yeast can be mixed into the dry ingredients right away. Instant yeast tends to yield a better flavor.
How to make homemade whole wheat pizza dough
This recipe calls for a blend of whole wheat and bread flours for a chewy and soft crust made a little healthier than regular pizza dough.
- Place flours, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer and mix until combined. Attach the dough hook to the mixer.
- Add warm water to the flour mixture, and mix on low speed until dough comes together, 2-3 minutes. Continue mixing for another 7 minutes on low-medium speed until dough is completely smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Place dough in a large bowl brushed with olive oil, and toss to coat (the fat will keep the dough from drying out). Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place or on the counter for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. Alternatively, you can place dough in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours. If refrigerated, before using the dough, place the bowl at room temperature for 30-60 minutes to reach room temperature.
- After the dough has risen, punch it just slightly to remove air. It’s now ready to be shaped.
You can knead dough by hand, but it will take you much longer. I personally do not make pizza dough this way and cannot speak for the results.
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Freezing pizza dough
After the dough has risen, you can divide it into as many portions as you like and shape each portion into a disc. Wrap each disc individually with plastic wrap and place into zip lock bags. Squeeze out all the air and seal the bags. Dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.
To thaw, place a disc in the fridge overnight or for about 12 hours. Remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before using so that it reaches room temperature, then either shape it or continue with the rest of your recipe.
Pictured: Pepperoni flatbread pizza with whole wheat pizza crust. Toppings include fresh and shredded mozzarella cheese and fresh basil with a classic tomato marinara sauce.
Helpful tips and tricks
Use a lightly floured surface when working with the completed dough so that it doesn’t stick to the countertop. Use your hands or a rolling pin, whichever you prefer.
Treat the dough gently and with care, especially while shaping it, so that it turns out as perfect as possible.
To bake a completed pizza in the oven, continue on to my classic homemade pizza post where I give you an easy recipe for homemade pizza sauce and give guidance for the best way to cake a pizza, hint: you’ll need a pizza stone & pizza peel.
Assemble pizza or flatbread on parchment paper for easy transferring to oven. If you don’t have a pizza peel, a thin cookie sheet works great too!
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe
This recipe makes one very large pizza crust (14 inch/35 cm), or you can make two medium pizzas instead. For flatbread pizza, divide dough in half and spread each half thinly onto parchment paper before assembling and baking.
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ cups (180g) bread flour, sifted (or all-purpose flour – bread flour will yield a chewier crust)
- 1 cup (120g) whole wheat flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (195 ml) warm water *see notes
- Olive Oil for greasing
Instructions
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Place flours, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer and mix until combined. Attach the dough hook to the mixer. Add water to the flour mixture, and mix on low speed until dough comes together, 2-3 minutes.
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Continue mixing for another 7 minutes on low-medium speed until dough is completely smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be slightly sticky, but if it feels too sticky, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, or if it feels too dry, add more water.
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Place dough in a large bowl brushed with oil, and toss to coat (the fat will keep the dough from drying out). Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place or on the counter for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. Alternatively, you can place dough in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours. If refrigerated, before using the dough, place the bowl at room temperature for 30-60 minutes to reach room temperature.
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After the dough has risen, punch it just slightly to remove air. It’s now ready to be shaped.
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To proceed with a full pizza recipe, click here.
Recipe Notes
Warm water temperature: Yeast is a living thing and is killed off at high temperatures. Therefore, be cautious when rehydrating dry yeast. The water should be lukewarm, similar to bath water, around 115℉.
Make ahead instructions:
After the dough has risen, you can divide it into as many portions as you like and shape each portion into a disc. Wrap each disc individually with plastic wrap and place into zip lock bags. Squeeze out all the air and seal the bags. Dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.
To thaw, place a disc in the fridge overnight or for about 12 hours. Remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before using so that it reaches room temperature, then either shape it or continue with the rest of your recipe.
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