Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Whole wheat pizza dough offers terrific nutty flavor and thin crust crunch.  It's easy to make, and you can increasingly find it in stores (Read the ingredients to make sure it's truly 100% whole wheat.  Trader Joes sells 100% whole wheat dough.)

Homemade pizza dough is easy and quick - 5 minutes to set it going, and in an hour you've got homemade.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup medium grind cornmeal (optional - for a nice crunch in the crust)
1 TB wheat gluten (also optional, will help with dough structure)
2 tsp salt
1 TB yeast
2 cups lukewarm water

DIRECTIONS

Place the flour, corn meal if using, gluten if using, salt, yeast, and stir to combine.  I use a whisk for this. Pour in the water and olive oil, and mix a sturdy rubber spatula for a few minutes to create a wet dough.  Let it sit for an hour, go at it with the spatula again, and in another half hour or so it will be ready to use (or store in the fridge for a day or two). After that hour you will notice that the dough takes on a pliable, elastic texture. This is a good time to preheat your oven.

When ready to make pizza, scrape the dough onto a floured surface, and separate into two pieces (or three, if you like smaller pizzas).  Roll each piece out into pizza shape on your floured surface (or twirl if you're brave).  To transfer to a baking sheet, I like to fold the dough over itself in half, then into quarters, transferring to a floured baking sheet, then unfolding again to full size and dressing as you like.  If you have a pizza peel, you also have the option of preparing your pizza on the peel and placing directly on a heated pizza stone in your hot oven.

Recipe:  Tod Dimmick

Oven Dried Tomatoes

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick










This simple method enables amazing things - concentrated flavor, and the ability to easily store a million tomatoes well into colder months. The fact that the space required is dramatically reduced is an added bonus.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: Overnight

The quantities listed here are used as an example only, the method will work regardless of the number of tomatoes used. I like to use enough to fill every rack in the oven to make efficient use of space and heat.

INGREDIENTS
4 lbs tomatoes (every kind will work, romas work better than others since they have a slightly lower water content).
Garlic salt

DIRECTIONS
Line baking trays with parchment paper.

Wash, dry, and slice the tomatoes into wedges or halves of roughly equivalent size to others on the same tray. If, for example, you have cherry tomatoes in your mix, put them all on one tray as you may want to remove them from the oven at a different time from other trays.

Arrange the wedges skin side down. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Place trays in the oven set at the lowest heat setting (150 works well. Use the convection setting if you have it available). Check the oven after a few hours to guage the dry rate - my oven takes about 8-10 hours. The resulting tomatoes will be almost completely dry, with concentrated, delicious tomato flavor.

Storage: Oven dried tomatoes can be stored in clean glass jars, covered with olive oil, for at least a couple of months. (The tomato oil also becomes a great recipe enhancer.) I am also testing using freezer bags in the freezer, which take even less space.

Variations: Oven dry garlic and rosemary with the tomatoes, and add to the oil.

Tip: Slice grape or cherry tomatoes in half for faster drying. In spite of their small size, keeping them whole allows their skins to keep moisture in.

Toss oven dried tomatoes with pasta, use in stews or on pizza, or serve with crumbled feta. Any way you slice 'em, they're delicious.

Grilled Pizza with Caramelized Onions

This happy collision of ingredients and method results in a super crisp thin crust pizza topped with savory-sweet caramelized onion.

I recommend dividing your dough to make several small pizzas. These are much easier to turn on the grill than larger doughs. Stay right by the grill because these cook FAST.

Prep time: Almost instant IF (!) you prepare the dough, tomatoes, and onions ahead of time. If you're preparing all the ingredients, you'll need to start with the tomatoes the night before, or at least that morning, and 60 for the dough and 30 for the onions. (all of this is with minimal attention).
Cook time: 3-5 minutes, depending on the heat of your grill
Serves: 4 - 6 with the possibility of delicious leftovers

INGREDIENTS
1 batch Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
about 4 cups Oven Dried Tomatoes
2-3 cups Caramelized Onions
about 2 cups shredded Mozzarella, or the equivalent fresh

Preheat the grill. Set the dough out and divide into 4 equal balls. Roll one ball out on a floured work surface into a circle about 9" in diameter. Repeat with the other balls of dough. Bring all ingredients out by the grill, and be ready to work fast. Place the dough on the grill and watch carefully. The dough will quickly bubble and rise. Check after 30 seconds to see if the dough is beginning to crisp on the bottom. When browned and crisp on the bottom, flip the dough with a large spatula or pizza peel. Spread 1/4 of the tomatoes, 1/4 of the cheese, then 1/4 of the onions on each crust, close the grill, and give it a minute. The pizza may be done at this point, or might require a little more time. When dough is crisp and cheese is melted, remove pizzas to cutting boards, slice and serve.

Serve with a dry red wine (Chianti is perfect) out on your flagstone terrace.

Fancy touch: Use fresh mozzarella instead of shredded mozzarella - lay slices on the dough, grill as above, and add chopped herbs just before removing from the grill.

Variation: Can easily be done in a hot oven (400 to 500)

Tip: A pizza paddle serves as a handy "spatula" for turning the dough. And be VERY careful spreading ingredients on the dough on the grill - it's hot in there!

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Pizza with Basil & Olives

Arugula Pizza

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










A colorful and delicious way to use fresh greens. Basil, sage, scallions etc would all work.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8-10 minutes
Serves: 2-4

1 package (1 lb.) pizza dough, or the equivalent homemade.
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, mixed with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup pizza sauce
A handful of absolutely perfect arugula leaves. :)

Preheat the oven to 450.

Roll the dough out on a floured work surface into a circle about 16" in diameter. If you are using a pizza pan, set the dough on the pan, or if you are using a peel to move the pizza into the oven to a pizza stone, just assemble on the counter. Spread the sauce with the back of a spoon over the dough. Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan mixture. Cook in the hot oven for 8-10 minutes or until dough is nicely browned and crisp. Remove from the oven, top with greenery, and serve to applause (and there was much rejoicing).

Serve with a dry red wine, and devour on your balcony looking over the piazza in Firenze.

This pizza can easily be grilled, but use smaller size pies to easily manipulate the dough.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Grilled Fresh Herb Pizza

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










Fast, crisp, and irresistible. Whole wheat dough offers the best flavor. Stay right by the grill because these cook FAST.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3-5 minutes, depending on the heat of your grill
Serves: 4

4 cups (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups chopped arugula or spinach
1/2 cup diced sweet onion (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 package (1 lb.) pizza dough, or the equivalent homemade.
3-4 TB extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the grill.

Mix the mozzarella, greens, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl, and set aside. Set the dough out and divide into 4 equal balls. Roll one ball out on a floured work surface into a circle about 9" in diameter. (*The small size of these pizzas make them easier to work with on the grill). Repeat with the other balls of dough. Bring all ingredients out by the grill, and be ready to work fast. Place the dough on the grill and watch carefully. The dough will quickly bubble and rise. Check after 30 seconds to see if the dough is beginning to crisp on the bottom. When browned and crisp on the bottom, flip the dough with a large spatula or pizza peel. Spread 1/4 of the cheese mixture on each crust, close the grill, and give it a minute. The pizza may be done at this point, or might require a little more time. When dough is crisp and cheese is melted, remove pizzas to cutting boards, drizzle with olive oil, slice and serve.

Serve with a dry rose as you look out over the Umbrian countryside.

Fancy touch: Use fresh mozzarella instead of shredded mozzarella - lay slices on the dough, grill as above, and spread chopped herbs just before removing from the grill.

Variation: Can easily be done in a hot oven (400 to 500)

Served up by Tod Dimmick