Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Pour water into bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir until it has dissolved.

2. Step 2

   Add the unbleached flour, salt and oil. Mix thoroughly with a spoon. Add one and three-fourths cups of the whole wheat flour and mix. You will have a soft dough that will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

3. Step 3

   From the remaining flour, lightly sprinkle the work surface. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead in the remaining flour (use only as much as it takes to keep the dough from sticking to your hands). Knead for at least 10 minutes until the dough becomes soft and elastic.

4. Step 4

   Place the ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Brush the dough with a light coat of oil and cover the top of the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free area and allow the dough to double in size. Depending on the temperature, it will take one to three hours. Alternatively, place the bowl in an oven with the pilot light on and the dough will take 40 to 50 minutes to rise.

5. Step 5

   When the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down with your fist. Pull the dough together and place it on a floured surface. Divide it into four equal parts. Roll each one out to form a 10-inch pizza shell.

6. Step 6

   Place an unglazed pizza tile in the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees for one hour. Lightly flour the pizza tile and slide the dough on top (if using a pizza pan, simply press the dough into the pan). Put the pizza in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.