Hunni and I eat pizza on a fairly regular basis.  From tortilla or pita pizzas to the regular dough with not-so-regular toppings…it is on my menu plan almost every week. 

I’m a make-it-yourself kind of girl 9 times out of 10…but dough is a no-no.  I’ll let you in on a little secret…I’m scared of yeast.  The stuff that makes dough fluffy dies pretty easily.  Yeah, you can kill it.  Oh yeah.  It’s scary.   

Then Heather, Julie and Evan went and issued a challenge.  I can’t resist a challenge.  These lovely bloggers are making macaroons but challenged the rest of us to make something we’ve always wanted to try but are scared.

Purchasing dough at the store can get pretty expensive at the rate we eat it…so this was my chance to get my hands in some dough.  I was pretty scared. 

After several hours searching the internet to find a recipe without sugar (I was about to “waste” my precious beet sugar if it was a big flop) I finally combined a few recipes and hoped for the best.

Enter…

Honey Wheat Pizza Dough

*Yields one traditional crust or two thin crusts.*

First I had to find the yeast at the co-op.  They don’t have the little packets like the regular grocery.  They sell it by weight and keep it in the fridge.  I think it helps keep the yeast alive. 

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (I ran the warm water for a few minutes but not too hot)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1. In a large bowl, dissolve honey in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.  It’s kind of a weird science project to watch.
2. Drizzle in olive oil and add salt to the yeast mixture.  Now find the correct Kitchen Aid attachment and pretend to be Captain Hook. 
3. When you are done goofing in the kitchen (I took 10 pictures with the hook ) place bowl on mixer.  Add all flour slowly.  If you are bold you can remove the dough and knead by hand.  If you are me:  Set the timer for 10 minutes and let the hook do the work.  
4. When the dough begins to form a ball and be smooth stop the mixer.  Do not over mix or you’ll have a rubber ball  
5. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and massage to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. The dryer was running so it was the warmest place in our house. 
6. When the dough is doubled, divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.  I was working hard so you better believe I was making two crusts out of this.   

If you are making pizza right away, roll and use as normal.  If not you can wrap tightly in plastic wrap to store.  This freezes easily but knowing our pizza habits I’m leaving them in the fridge for after our conference. 

This was simple but time consuming.  I think I’m going to make a few more batches in the next week to freeze.  I want normal pizza and perhaps some pizza rolls ala Katie.  They would make great easy lunches

What is something you want to make but haven’t?

How about checking out :

Gluten-free Master DoughPrep time: 60 minutes Ingredients 2 1/2 cup gluten-free flour [I used King Arthur Flour] 1/2 cup millet flour (or other high fiber flour) ... Cranberry Coconut Tea Cookies (Gluten-Free)A crispy cookie with the sweetness of coconut and a tart cranberry twist. Perfect with a warm cup of tea. Prep Time: 15 minutes ...