Quick Whole-Grain Pizza Crust

Fridays have been "pizza days" in our house for the last several years.  I know it's one day of the week that no one will complain about what we're having and I, for one, need a no-brain cooking night now and then.  Occasionally we'll just order pizza from the local pizza joint when it's been a hard or busy week, but most of the time we like to make our own pizza from scratch. Sometimes we use a French bread base.   My husband, however, strongly prefers when I make a homemade crust.  Until recently I still skipped around from one pizza crust recipe to the other, never totally loving any that I found.  Then my teen daughter went to a cooking class at my friend Michelle's house as part of her homeschool curriculum and came home with this recipe.  It's simple and easy and made just the kind of crust I've been searching for all of these years---perfect textured, evenly cooked, and whole grain.  Thank you Michelle--we loved it.   I strongly recommend preheating the pizza pan for best results.  Enjoy! 

 Click here for printable recipe. 

Makes 2 thin crust pizzas. 

The ingredients:
4-1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water (~115° F)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour  (all white flour can be substituted if desired) 
1 tsp. salt
olive oil, for brushing over dough

Directions:  Preheat oven to 450°.  Place empty pizza pan into the cold oven to preheat along with the oven.  (I find that preheating the pan helps the crust to have a better texture and to cook more evenly.) 

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water.  Let rest for 8 minutes.  (I skipped this resting time). 

Knead together the flour, salt, and yeast mixture.  Split dough into 2 equal pieces and turn each part onto a floured surface and roll to a circle. 

I got my crust started on the floured surface, then gave my pizza flipping skills a try.  I was not very good, but had fun trying it out.  :)

Spray hot pizza pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal (omit cooking spray if using a stoneware pan).                             never mind the messy table and well-loved pizza stone.  :)

Place dough circle onto the pan and push into place. 

Brush a light layer of olive oil over the dough, then add the sauce, cheese, and other toppings as desired. 

NOTE:  You can allow for about 10 minutes of rising time at this point, if you'd like to add a little thickness to the crust (this is what I prefer) or you can put it straight into the oven.  Bake for about 8 minutes or until done. 

Enjoy!