This is my favorite pizza dough recipe. It is from Nancy Silverton’s “Mozza” cookbook. The first time you make this dough, be sure to read the recipe ahead of time thoroughly and take note of the quantities and times for each phase of the process. The total time you’ll need from start to being ready to bake is approximately 4 hours. So be sure to start making the dough early in the afternoon so you’re ready to bake by dinnertime!
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 23 ounces warm tap water
- 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
- 26 ounces whole wheat flour, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon medium rye flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons wheat germ
- 1 1/2 mild-flavored honey, such as clover or wildflower
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Make the sponge: put 15 ounces of water and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer and let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve the yeast. Add 13 ounces of the wheat flour, along with the rye flour and wheat germ. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients. Wrap the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside at room temperature (68 to 70 degrees) for 1 1/2 hours.
- Uncover the bowl and add the remaining 8 ounces of water, 13 ounces of wheat flour and the honey. Fit the mixer with a dough hook, place the bowl on the mixer stand, and mix the dough on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the salt and mix on medium speed for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Note: the dough will not pull so much that it completely cleans the bowl, but if the dough is too sticky and is not pulling away fro the sides at all, throw a small handful of flour into the bowl to make it less sticky.
- While the dough is mixing, lightly grease with olive oil a bowl large enough to hold the dough when it doubles in size. Turn the dough out of the mixer into the oiled bowl. Wrap the bowl as before. Set the dough aside at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Dust your work surface lightly with flour and turn the dough out onto the floured work surface. Acting as if the round has four sides, fold the edges of the dough toward the center. Turn the dough again and return it, folded side down, to the bowl. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and set it aside for 45 minutes.
- Dust your work surface again lightly with flour and turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Divide the dough into six equal segments, each weighing approximately 7 ounces. Gently tuck the edges of each round of dough under itself. Cover the dough rounds with a clean dishtowel and let them rest for 5 minutes.
- Lightly flour your hands and use both hands to gather each round of dough into a taut ball. Dust a baking sheet generously with flour and place the dough rounds on the baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with the dishtowel and set them again at room temperature for 1 hour to proof the dough.