This is a great, and healthy, pizza dough recipe. It is also about as basic as a dough gets. The trick to great pizza dough is not so much in the ingredients, but in how it is handled. If you would prefer a more traditional crust you can substitute the whole wheat flour with regular bread flour.

Ingredients

• 4 cups all natural whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Makes 3 medium pizzas
• Must be prepared 1 day ahead of time

Method

1. This recipe works best in a mixer, for example a Kitchen-Aid, but if you do not have one mixing first with a spoon and then by hand will give you the same results. Begin by combining the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl and mix on low to ensure that all are properly distributed.
2. Combine the water and olive oil and add it to the flour mixture slowly as you mix on a low speed (if mixing by hand add a little at a time, incorporate it into the flour and then add a little more until all is used up). Dough should come together fully but not be wet. It should be moist to the touch and sticky. If dough is too dry add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until dough comes together.
3. Mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes. If mixing by hand continue to work the dough by needing it over and under for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the dough has reached a firmness to hold a ball shape. I prefer mixing by hand at this stage, it is a little more work but I feel produces better dough. You can dust the dough with flour to make it easier to work with at this point. It is critical to make sure the dough has been mixed long enough to ensure the dry yeast has been activated.
4. Form dough into a log and cut into 3 equal parts. Place them into separate plastic freezer bags. For dough that you are planning on using right away place the bag in the refrigerator, the rest can be put in the freezer for use at another time (When using frozen dough it must be thawed in refrigerator for 24 hours first). Let dough sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Two hours before you plan on making the pizza pull the dough out of the fridge.
5. With dough still in the bag flatten it down. Allow dough to rest and come to room temperature for the two hours.
6. Remove dough from the bag and on a well floured work area form the dough into a flat round disk.
7. Top and bake at 495 degrees until golden brown.

Stay tuned for pizza sauce and my favorite toppings