This whole wheat pizza dough recipe is healthy, easy, delicious and made with only 7 ingredients! Whole wheat pizza crust is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, making it the perfect healthy alternative for pizza nights!
My first job at age 14 was working at a local pizza place. I got a workers permit from my junior high school, put on my Doc Martens and I was ready to start earning money.
Working at Angelo’s taught me so much about life (I seriously wouldn’t be the person I am today without that job), and equally importantly – it taught me all about great pizza. As a result, we almost never order pizza, and we always make our own homemade pizza from scratch (never without this homemade pizza sauce).
Our homemade pizza dough is beloved my many, but I often feel the need to make a littler healthier alternative and whip up this Whole Wheat Pizza Dough instead. It’s the best healthy pizza dough made with only seven ingredients that’s crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside – just like a great pizza crust should be.
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Ingredients & Substitutions
Let’s chat about the ingredients in this whole wheat pizza dough, as well as possible substitutions.
- Whole Wheat Flour/All-purpose flour. This recipe calls for an equal amount of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. I find this 1:1 ratio yields the best texture. You can use only one or the other, but if you use all whole wheat flour I recommend using white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour for a lighter texture (it will be denser if you use only whole wheat flour).
- Olive Oil. Any neutral oil works well in this recipe, I’d recommend canola or avocado oils as the best substitutes if needed.
- Honey. Granulated sugar can be used in place of honey, or maple syrup.
- Active dry yeast. Instant yeast can be used in place of active dry yeast, you will just have a shorter rise time.
How to make whole wheat pizza dough
As always, well walk through this whole wheat pizza recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video!
Activate yeast
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine water yeast and honey. Stir and let sit until foamy (about 5-10 minutes). Or in a large mixing bowl (if you will mix/knead by hand).
Add ingredients
Once it is foamy add olive oil, flours and sea salt use the dough hook to knead and mix the ingredients together.
Knead
Using the dough hook, mix/knead the whole wheat pizza dough until a smooth and slightly tacky ball forms. Or mix by hand until a ball forms, then turn it onto a floured surface and knead by hand.
Form a ball
Once the dough is kneaded well, form it into a ball and place it in a large, lightly greased bowl.
Rise
Cover the dough in the greased bowl with a damp tea towel and let rise until doubled in size (about 60 minutes).
Roll out the whole wheat pizza crust
Towards the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place a pizza stone in the oven to heat up.
After it has risen, punch the dough down and form it into a disc.
Roll the dough out to the shape and size you want (we make a 14” round pizza). If transferring it to a pizza stone, roll it out on a piece of parchment paper. If baking it on a pizza pan, put the rolled-out dough onto the pan.
Add toppings
Top with pizza sauce, cheese and toppings. You have to make this homemade pizza sauce. It’s amazing.
Bake
There are two options, you can bake this whole wheat pizza on a preheated pizza stone (preferred) or on a baking sheet.
If baking on a pizza stone, use a pizza peel to transfer the topped pizza to the preheated stone in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden-brown. If baking on a baking pan, place it on the lowest rack in your oven and bake.
Cool slightly and enjoy
Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat: preheat oven to 350 degrees F, place pizza on a baking sheet and heat until warmed through.
To freeze:
You can freeze this whole wheat pizza dough in many different ways:
- In a dough ball. You can freeze this whole wheat pizza dough after kneading before rising. Simply form it into a ball, lightly grease the inside of a freezer-friendly plastic bag, put the dough inside, squeeze out the air and freeze for up to 3 months. Let dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let it rise at room temperature and follow the recipe.
- Rolled out crusts. To freeze crusts, simply follow the recipe, roll out the dough and transfer to a large round baking sheet. Tightly wrap the whole wheat pizza crust with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature. Top with sauce and toppings and bake according to the recipe instructions.
- Unbaked pizza. After the second rise, roll out the dough, place it on a round pizza pan, add sauce and toppings. Tightly wrap the whole wheat pizza with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, preheat oven 450 degrees F, bake on the lower rack for 12-15 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Is whole wheat pizza dough healthy?
In general whole wheat flour contains slightly more fiber and protein that all-purpose flour. This whole wheat pizza dough also uses honey instead of sugar, which is preferable to many!
Can you substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour in pizza dough?
You can substitute up to half of the all-purpose flour in a recipe with whole wheat flour and it will still taste great.
Can I use almond flour instead of whole wheat flour?
No, almond flour is not a suitable substitute for whole wheat flour in this recipe.
What is the best alternative to wheat flour?
Spelt flour, buckwheat flour and chickpea flour are my favorite alternatives.
