The Fantastic Pizza Crust That Will Make Your Gut Feel Good
Pizza is an amazing food, and we don't think anyone who really loves it could completely do without it. But, it's not the healthiest food out there…
Unless you try a few tricks - tasty tricks that can add nutrition and taste to your pizza.
Why Does Whole Wheat Crusts Matter?
We've tried some of the low-carb and keto crusts for pizza. They're okay, you are eating pizza, but…
It's just not the same.
We've tried the cheese crust, the cauliflower crust, the rice flour crust, and even the veggie-based crusts. They just don't compare to sinking your teeth into that little bit of snap and a little bit of give of a good wheat crust.
Unless you're doing very low carb, you can get away with a whole wheat thin crust.
Whole wheat crusts have the give and fold of a regular white wheat crust and the richness of a thicker crust. You can roll out a whole wheat crust nice and thin to get a little bit of snap.
What makes the whole wheat crust so different is the high amounts of fiber and rich taste they provide. This crust offers you many more B vitamins and minerals that are missing in regular white flour crusts. They’re nutritious!
Just by working the crust a little bit more and taking a little bit more time in making it, you can get a fantastic crust that is healthy for you.
Of course, that's not the only way to improve your pizza. Anytime you add vegetables to your pizza, you're adding nutrition. You can go with the typical pizza toppings of mushrooms, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Go a little bit more off to the side with broccoli, olives, and artichokes.
Or you can get really adventurous and do just about anything you want. We've seen people add asparagus, beans, squash, zucchini, or just about anything at all.
You can even increase your omega-3 fatty acids by adding sardines, anchovies, or cooked salmon. It's also trendy to add different types of cheeses such as feta, hard parmesan, goat cheese, and fresh mozzarella.
The tomato sauce itself is healthy. Cooked tomatoes have a tremendous amount of lycopene, and the sauce itself provides good nutrition. Just be careful you're not adding sugar to your sauce to make it sweeter (although a tiny pinch of salt added to cook tomatoes makes it taste fresher - it's a tiny pinch!)
One Big Thing To Keep In Mind
Whole wheat crusts are delicious and can be just as good and fluffy as white wheat crusts. There's a couple of essential things to keep in mind:
- More water - whole wheat flour absorbs and holds more water than white flour. You might need to add anywhere from a teaspoon to a quarter cup more water than usual.
- More time – whole wheat dough does not rise as fast as white flour. You may need to give an extra hour to allow proper rise.
- More needing – because whole wheat flour has a lot of bran, it takes longer and more working for the gluten to form the long stretchy chains. You may need to double the amount of time you knead your dough.
- More heat – to get a good crispy dough, you may need to raise your oven temperature 25 to 50°. Just keep a watch on your pizza because the cheese will brown faster.
- More enjoyment – whole wheat crusts have deeper flavors and more complex interactions. Take your time to really enjoy this crust.
The Whole Wheat Crust
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
- 1 packet Active Dry Yeast
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese (or other hard cheese), Grated
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 3/4 -1 Cup Lukewarm Water
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, yeast, and parmesan cheese. Mix and create a well in the middle. To this well, add in 3/4 cups water, honey, and olive oil. Mix ingredients from the center until dough comes together. Continue to form into a ball with your hands. If more water is needed, add it by the teaspoon.
If using a stand mixer, add all the ingredients and mix until a smooth ball forms.
Turn out onto the counter and knead the dough for 1-2 minutes before placing it in a lightly oiled bowl and covering. Let rise for 1&1/2 to 2 hours.
We hope you try this recipe and let us know what amazing topping you use to bring your pizza to a whole new level of healthiness.