Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: A No-Knead Recipe

Kneading skills are not required to make this Whole Wheat Pizza Dough recipe. With only 5 minutes of hands-on time, you can make this thin crust pizza dough that doesn’t taste like cardboard! 

That’s right! You only need 5 minutes and no special skills to make the best wheat pizza dough. 

Not only is there no kneading, but there is no proofing of the yeast or shaping the dough into a ball. Just like this focaccia recipe, you can make this pizza dough without a rolling pin or wooden board. 

At this point, you might be wondering if we are actually making pizza. 

I can assure you that we are and the taste will absolutely amaze you, especially if you make this thin crust healthy pizza garnished with caramelized onions and Swiss chard! 

Does this still sound too good to be true?

There is one catch. You need to wait at least 24 hours before you can bake this whole-grain pizza. On the bright side, pizza night just got a lot easier because your pizza dough is prepared in advance. 

Should you have a craving, I suggest making this Margherita, or this potato pizza, where you can enjoy it in just a couple of hours. 

This healthy pizza dough can easily be made from scratch by simply combining whole wheat flour, yeast, water, salt and extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl. No kneading is necessary to make a whole wheat pizza crust that provides you with a little extra fiber.

Are you as excited as I am? Let’s make this recipe! 

How to make the easiest whole-wheat pizza dough

All you need is a large bowl, a wooden spoon and some basic ingredients.

Whisk together 500 grams (or 3¼ cups) of whole wheat flour with 1 teaspoon of yeast in a large bowl.

Create a well and add only 1¼ cups of water. Combine roughly together with a sturdy wooden spoon. The dough will have a “ragged” look. Let it stand for about 1 minute for the flour to hydrate.

Add the rest of the water (½ cup) along with 1½ teaspoons of salt and 1½ tablespoons of oil. Mix until there are no visible streaks of flour left.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature, in a draft-free area, for about 1 hour. After this initial wait time, refrigerate the dough for 24 -36 hours.

The following day, take out the bowl from the refrigerator, place it on the counter and allow it to come to room temperature in a draft-free place. This takes about 1 hour. 

Notice how the ball of dough has doubled in size and is very bubbly. 

Pizza size

The ingredients for this whole wheat pizza recipe make 1 large (15-16 inches), 2 small (10- 12 inches) or 1 rectangular (10 x 15 inches).

How to stretch

Once it is at room temperature, transfer the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. If making two smaller pizzas, separate the dough in half.

Fold it over itself a few times and shape it into a ball.

Then place the dough ball in a pan that has been greased with about 1 teaspoon of butter followed by 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  

Lightly oil the surface of the dough and allow it to rest for 2 hours. 

After this waiting period, the dough should easily stretch out.

With lightly oiled fingertips, begin to push and gently poke at the dough, stretching it as you go along (I have a small bowl filled with about 1 teaspoon of oil). Remember to dip your fingers in the olive oil as you are “pushing” the dough into place.

When you are finished stretching the dough, the top will have a thin layer of oil. 

This healthy pizza dough is now ready for your favorite toppings.

Why this recipe works

This is a user-friendly dough that is so easy to make. The secret to a whole wheat pizza crust that doesn’t taste like cardboard is allowing enough time for the yeast to slowly work its magic, just like Jim Lahey’s no-knead pizza dough,

Tips

• Use a scale to weigh the whole wheat flour. 
• Add water in a few additions. This allows the flour to hydrate slowly. 
• Allow 24 hours for the yeast to work properly. Do not skip this step as this develops the best flavors. 

Recipe origins

Growing up Italian meant we had homemade pizza at least once a week.

Using whole wheat flour to make this iconic Italian food might seem a little non-traditional to some, but I can still remember how my mom would love to experiment with this. As a young dietitian (over 35 years ago), I was impressed that my mom was trying to create a healthy pizza dough.

She would often replace half of the all-purpose flour in her pizza dough with whole wheat flour. She would do the same for my dad’s favorite taralli recipe.

I remember that my mom’s attempt to make a pizza crust entirely with whole wheat flour was not as successful.

In my own quest, I have had my share of pizza crusts that taste like cardboard. Just ask my family.

A few years ago, I came across this recipe and I’ve been making it with great results.

In my humble opinion, this whole wheat crust is a great way to showcase summer vegetables.

Stay tuned because I plan on sharing a few of my favorite toppings. 

If you haven’t already joined, here is the link where you can sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. This way, you won’t miss any of my new recipes and it’s absolutely free! 

Enjoy!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this easy whole wheat pizza dough recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!