Making pizza from scratch is so satisfying and it means you can put all kinds of wonderful toppings on it. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough has a bad reputation of being bland and dense, but our version is anything but. It's soft, chewy and crispy and it makes the perfect base for all your favourite pizza toppings.
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We love finding healthier versions of our favourite foods (that is actually how Hungry Healthy Happy started out), and it's so easy to make pizza at home, and to make it a little lighter.
Homemade dough is a great place to start. Our whole wheat pizza dough recipe has whole grains and more fibre than regular dough and is digested slower than refined grains.
Looking for other ways to satisfy your pizza cravings? Try our Easy Pizza Toasts, Aubergine Pizza, Greek Pizza, Flatbread Pizzas or BBQ Chicken Pizza. Or, for a high protein pizza crust, try our Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough.
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Why You Will Love It
- Satisfying - It is so satisfying making your own dough. Kneading it is very therapeutic and kids will love mixing it all together too.
- Less than 250 calories per serving - Dough on a takeaway pizza can be really thick and high in calories. But you can roll this out as thin as you like to make it lighter.
- A good opportunity to get kids involved - If you want to get your kids more involved in the kitchen, this is a good place to start. It's a little bit messy with the flour and involves mixing, both of which they will love. Check out our post about Cooking With Kids.
- Freezes well - We make a big batch of this and then keep individual balls of dough in the freezer ready for other pizza nights.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Whole wheat (wholemeal) flour - Any whole wheat flour will work, but you do get what you pay for, so get as good a quality one as you can afford.
- Warm water - Make sure the water is warm (45°C/115°F max). If it is too hot, the yeast won't work.
- Yeast - We used quick yeast.
- Sugar - Can be left out, but helps to activate the yeast.
- Oil - Any oil can be used, but we went for a good quality extra virgin olive oil as it has a lovely flavour.
- Honey - Optional, but again, adds to the flavour.
- Salt - Salt is important as it helps to tighten the gluten structure and makes your dough stronger.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How To Make Pizza Dough - Step by Step
One: In a jug, mix the warm water, sugar and olive oil and yeast and let it rest for 5 minutes. Whisk in the oil and honey.
Two: Put the flour in to a large bowl, make a well in the middle and add a small amount of the liquid.
Three: Using a fork, pull the flour into the middle and start mixing. Continue adding the liquid slowly while mixing until a ball of dough is formed.
Four: Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
Five: Place the dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough so that it is coated thinly with oil.
Six: Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for around an hour so it can rise (it should double in size). See below for proofing dough in an oven.
Seven: Remove the dough and knead again for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, and either freeze or use immediately.
Proofing Dough in an Oven
Proofing (or proving) dough can easily be done in the oven. Preheat your oven to its lowest setting and once it has reached temperature, turn it off. While the oven is heating, boil your kettle.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl on a rack in the centre of the oven and another oven proof bowl on the bottom shelf with 750ml (3 cups) of boiled water in it. Close the oven door and leave for an hour. Once the hour is up, the dough should have doubled in size.
Pizza Toppings
The first thing, is a good sauce, so why not use our Easy Pizza Sauce to start with? You could even use BBQ sauce as a base. Then the choice of pizza toppings is literally only restricted by your imagination! Go wild! Add vegetables, meat even fruit if you want!
Instead of using a marinara, make a sweet pizza. Spread with our Homemade Nutella and then add whatever sweet treats you like, like marshmallows and strawberries.
Whatever you decide to top your pizza with, kids will love helping out.
Serving Suggestions
We try to do pizza night every week, as it's one food we can all agree on. We make our own mini pizzas, with out own favourite toppings, and then have some side dishes to share.
Here are some of our favourite side dishes to go with pizza:
- Celeriac Chips
- Little Gem Salad
- Homemade Fries with our French Fry Seasoning
- Oven Baked Onion Rings
- Baked Carrot Fries
- Spanish Olives
- Parmesan Truffle Fries
- Greek Potatoes
- Grilled Corn with Herb Butter
- Mexican Coleslaw
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Extra Tips
- If the yeast doesn't dissolve, your yeast is expired. Start again with active yeast.
- Make sure the water is warm (45°C/115°F max). If it is too hot, it will render the yeast unusable.
- Add a tablespoon of honey to the dough mixture for a really lovely flavour.
- To get a really crispy cooked pizza base, use a ceramic pizza stone.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is the perfect make ahead pizza dough and is ideal for freezing. This recipe makes enough for 4 good sized pizzas, so you can always have some pizza dough on hand. Simply wrap the individual balls of dough in a strong cling film (Saran Wrap) and put in the freezer. It will keep in the freezer for 3-4 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight (for at least 12 hours).
You can leave out the sugar, but sugar increases the activity of the yeast. Also, the small amount of sugar used will tenderise the dough, resulting in a chewier consistency when it is cooked.
Yes, it is healthier (although this is such a subjective word), because as it offers whole grains and fibre and is digested slower than refined grains.
More Pizza Recipes
If you've tried this whole wheat pizza dough recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 185 ml (1.25 cups) Warm water
- 0.5 teaspoon Dried yeast
- 0.5 teaspoon Sugar
- 0.5 tablespoon Olive oil - (extra virgin is best for flavour)
- 0.5 tablespoon Honey
- 200 g (1.66 cups) Whole wheat flour
- 1 pinch Sea salt
Instructions
- In a jug, mix 185 ml Warm water, 0.5 teaspoon Sugar and 0.5 teaspoon Dried yeast and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Add 0.5 tablespoon Olive oil, 0.5 tablespoon Honey and 1 pinch Sea salt. Whisk well.
- Put 200 g Whole wheat flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.
- Gradually pour the wet mixture into the middle of the well, pulling the flour into the centre with a fork. Continue until the liquid is all in with the flour. Mix well until you have a dough ball.
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
- Place the dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough so that it is coated thinly with oil.
- Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for around an hour so it can rise (it should double in size).
- Remove the dough and knead again for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, and either freeze or use immediately.
Recipe Tips
- If the yeast doesn't dissolve, your yeast is expired. Start again with active yeast.
- Make sure the water is warm (45°C/115°F max). If it is too hot, it will render the yeast unusable.
- Add a tablespoon of honey to the dough mixture for a really lovely flavour.
- To get a really crispy cooked pizza base, use a ceramic pizza stone.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Jenn says
This is my go-to pizza dough recipe. I love that it's better for you than the ultra bleached store-bought pizza dough. So much flavor just in the crust - love it!
Toni says
This is really amazing! I'm definitely making it again, soon!
Tavo says
The dough came out really nicely. Really cool to have a healthy option for pizza!
Natalie says
So simple and so much healthier than regular pizza dough. I will give this a try. Thanks!
Gina says
Love the little bit of honey in this recipe - really brings out the delicious flavors of the whole wheat!
Dawn says
I wonder if you've ever considered trying to make your doughs in a bread machine? I'm planning on trying out some of those bread recipes, but by using the dough setting on the bread machine. It would save you LOADS of time!
Dannii says
I don't have a bread machine. I have a fairly small kitchen and I see other appliances as being far more useful. I kind of like the arm workout from kneading the bread too :)
jennifer says
Hi! This looks awesome, but how much honey do you use? I don't see it in the ingredients list.
Dannii says
Sorry, I took the honey out of the recipe (as it didn't need it), but I forgot to take it out of the cooking instructions.
Allie says
Made this last night for myself, my husband, and one of his friends. It was PERFECT! So glad that I've got leftover dough in the freezer to use in the future. I appreciate all the recipes and have been using them frequently. Thank you, thank you!
Joanne Wells says
Hi Dannii.
Can you tell me, how long do you then cook for? Does it really depend on your toppings?
Xx
Jaclyn says
Hi Dannii,
Two questions:
1. How much sugar? I don't see it in the breakdown of ingredients.
2. Can I mix in a large bowl instead of a jug? Not sure if it matters.
I'm craving your healthier Chicago pizza recipe. Thanks!
Aneta says
If I may... I think Dannii meant honey ;)
Dannii says
Yes, sorry it was meant to say honey. And yes, any bowl is fine.
Aneta says
Will the frozen portions of dough rise when you bake the pizza in the oven? Won't the freezeing process kill the yeast?
Dannii says
Yes, they still rise :)