Whole wheat crust will satisfy pizza lovers

Several months ago, I featured a tried-and-true recipe for Easy Pizza Dough. I love this recipe and use it often. (You can still access it on kitchenscoop.com.)

But since that time, I’ve had several folks ask me for a 100 percent wholewheat version that is just as easy and foolproof. If you’ve ever played with recipes for yeast breads and dough, you know it’s not as simple as substituting the whole-wheat flour for the all-purpose flour or bread flour. Wholewheat flour is heavier by nature because it contains the wheat bran and wheat germ. So when using yeast for leavening, it’s a new deal.

After tons of research and a lot of cardboard-tasting crusts, I came across an old whole-wheat muffin recipe that uses twice the active yeast. Eureka! That’s it: twice the yeast to lift the heavier flour. Perfect.

For this dough, I prefer the traditional yeast because it is slower at lifting and creates the lightest whole-wheat crust possible. I also prebake the crust to make sure it stays crispy on the bottom even after loading on the toppings. I make two thin crusts with this recipe, but if you like a thicker crust, you can just make one. The nutritional analysis (two slices each) is based on two crusts, without toppings, because that is up to the individual cook. Basic Whole-Wheat

Pizza Crust Start to finish: about 2 hours, mostly unattended

Yield: Makes 2 (12-inch) pizza crusts, serving about 8

2 envelopes (1/4 ounce each) active yeast

1 cup low-fat warmed, not hot 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling bowl 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

In a small bowl, place the yeast in the milk. Let stand for 10 minutes. Then stir in the honey, oil and salt.

Use a mixer with the dough hook attachment and pour the yeast mixture in; slowly add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time. Beat on low speed just until dough is mixed and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough into a large bowl that is well oiled. Cover lightly and set in a draft-free place for about 90 minutes, or

milk, until doubled in bulk. The dough will be very bubbly. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and punch it down. Knead two or three times and divide into two parts. Roll each half into about a 12-inch circle.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the dough on a preheated pizza stone or an oiled pan for 10 minutes. Remove carefully and cool slightly before topping. Bake the pizza at 425 degrees for another 8 to 10 minutes, as desired.

Approximate values per serving, crust only (1/4 of 12-inch thin crust): 206 calories, 4 g fat (trace g saturated), 2 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 306 mg sodium.