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    Home » Pizza » Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: A No-Knead Recipe

    Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: A No-Knead Recipe

    July 6, 2020 , Updated September 30, 2022 Maria 6 Comments

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    Whole Wheat Pizza Dough in a bowl.

    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! 

    A ball of whole wheat pizza dough in a bowl.

    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! 

    A wooden spoon next to a ball of pizza dough in a bowl.

    How to make the easiest whole-wheat pizza dough

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

    Whole wheat flour being whisked in a bowl.

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

    A bowl of whole wheat flour with water.

    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.

    Whole wheat flour and water in a bowl.

    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.

    Plastic wrap covering a bowl.

    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.

    Bubbly whole wheat pizza dough after spending 24 hours in the fridge.

    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. 

    A wooden spoon set atop a bowl.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!

    Recipe

    Whole wheat pizza dough in a glass bowl.

    Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

    Kneading skills are not required to make this Whole Wheat Pizza Dough. Here's an easy pizza crust recipe that doesn't taste like cardboard!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Save RecipeSaved! Pin Rate
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 481kcal
    Author: Maria Vannelli RD
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    Ingredients

    • 500 grams whole wheat flour 3¼ cups
    • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 4 grams
    • 1¾ cups water separated, room temperature
    • 1½ teaspoons salt
    • 1½ tablespoon olive oil extra virgin

    Instructions

    • Whisk the yeast and the flour together in a large bowl.
    • Add 1¼ cup of the water and 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 the salt and the oil.
    • Mix together until there are no visible streaks of flour.
    • Cover and leave at room temperature, in a draft-free area, for 1 hour.
    • Then, refrigerate the dough for 24 -36 hours.
    • When ready to use the dough, remove from the refrigerator, leave at room temperature for 1 hour.
    • After 1 hour, fold it over itself a few times and shape it into a ball.
    • Then place the ball of dough in a pizza 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 very thin layer of oil.
    • This healthy pizza dough is now ready for your favorite toppings.
    Enhance Your Cooking Experience!SCROLL UP for essential step-by-step photos embedded in the article above. When available, videos can be found in the next section. These visuals are designed to help you achieve perfect results every time. Happy cooking!

    Notes

    Tips

    • Use a scale to weigh the whole wheat flour. 
    • Add water in a few additions. This allows the flour to slowly hydrate. 
    • Allow 24 hours for the yeast to work properly. Do not skip this step as this develops the best flavors. 
    These ingredients make 1 large pizza (15-16 inches); 2 small pizzas (10- 12 inch) or 1 rectangular pizza (10 x 15 inches).
    Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 881mg | Potassium: 482mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 5mg
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    Filed Under: Pizza

    About Maria

    Maria Vannelli is a retired dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chris Hart

      February 21, 2022 at 8:15 pm

      5 stars
      Followed the recipe exactly. Came out brilliantly. Planning to do it again. Just follow the recipe ,step by step. Used Bobs whole grain flour.

      Reply
      • Maria

        February 26, 2022 at 6:43 pm

        So thrilled to read this Chris! Thanks so much for taking the time to share!

        Reply
    2. Rosa

      August 02, 2020 at 1:39 pm

      Hi Maria, are you using instant yeast or regular yeast? Could I use this recipe if i wanted to use half whole wheat and half all purpose?

      Reply
      • Maria

        August 14, 2020 at 8:53 am

        I use the regular instant yeast but the two are interchangeable. I have not tried using half and half with this recipe. If interested, I have tried it with my mom’s pizza dough recipe. Thanks for your interest Rosa.

        Reply
    3. Nel

      July 19, 2020 at 1:17 pm

      5 stars
      So happy about this recipe!
      I used to always do half white flour and half whole wheat as I was afraid of using whole wheat only.
      I’m no longer afraid, this came out perfectly!
      And so easy to make.
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Maria

        July 20, 2020 at 8:00 am

        So thrilled to read this Nel! Thanks so much for taking the time to share, appreciate it!

        Reply

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