Homemade wheat pizza dough uses a combination of white and whole wheat flour for the perfect balance of flavor and texture! Even if you're new to baking with yeast, you can make this easy pizza dough recipe and enjoy all your favorite toppings at home.
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Homemade pizza is the best because it lets your imagination run wild and try toppings you might not be able to find at your local pizza place.
Of course you could make homemade pizza with store bought dough, but making your own dough at home is actually pretty easy as long as you have a stand mixer (affiliate link). The mixer can also do all the kneading for you, so don't worry if your hands aren't built for kneading.
Homemade wheat pizza dough
This wheat pizza dough is actually a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose white flour. I find this gives the best combination of flavor and texture. It's a little nutty while still being pretty fluffy and chewy.
You can use this dough as a homemade pizza crust or as a base for breadsticks, calzones, and more.
Ingredients
- Warm water
- Rapid rise yeast
- Olive oil
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Whole wheat flour
- All-purpose flour
How to make homemade pizza dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add water, then sprinkle with the yeast and half the sugar. Stir with a spoon to combine, then allow to sit 5 minutes. The yeast should turn frothy.
- Add the olive oil, remaining sugar, and salt and mix. Add the whole wheat flour and mix again.
- Add the all-purpose flour a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Let the mixer knead the dough for 8 minutes, or transfer the dough to a floured counter or board and knead a few minutes before forming into a tight ball.
- Place the dough ball in a large oiled bowl and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Place the bowl in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 30 minutes - 1 ½ hours.
Top tips
Baking with whole wheat flour
Baked goods made with whole wheat flour tend to have less rise and a denser texture than those made with white flour. Whole wheat flour also absorbs more liquid than all-purpose flour, so it's useful to add flour a little at a time and see how it behaves in the dough.
What wheat flour does offer is a deeper, nuttier flavor. My favorite whole wheat flour is made by North Dakota Mill, but if that's unavailable to you King Arthur Flour is also fantastic.
The best yeast for pizza
I like using rapid rise instant yeast for pizza to cut down on prep time. I find Red Star and Fleischmann's to be my favorite brands.
How to knead pizza dough
I like using my stand mixer to knead pizza dough, but you can also check out this post on how to knead dough by hand.
How to shape pizza dough
Once your dough has risen, punch it down lightly with a fist to remove the air. I then pick up the ball of dough and use my knuckles to stretch it into a round without tearing it.
You can use the weight of the dough to let it hang down on your knuckles and stretch. Once it becomes too big to work with, lay it on your baking surface and use your finger tips to continue to stretch the dough to your desired size.
How to store homemade pizza dough
If your dough finishes rising before you're ready to bake it, pop it in the refrigerator, covered, to prevent further rising. You could also do a long rise in the refrigerator overnight.
To freeze the dough, shape it into a ball after kneading and wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a zip top freezer bag, removing excess air as you close it. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Allow frozen dough to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then allow to rise at room temperature in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap until doubled in size.
Tips for customizing homemade wheat pizza dough
- Swap the granulated sugar for honey
- Use either all whole wheat flour or only all-purpose flour, see FAQ's and notes
- Double the recipe to make another pizza, or store one ball of dough in the freezer for a busy night
FAQ
You will know if your yeast is working after letting it rest in the water with the sugar. It should turn a little foamy and rise a bit.
If it doesn't look foamy after this first step your yeast may be too old and inactive. It is also possible that your water was either too cold or too hot. You may want to start over with fresher yeast to ensure your dough will rise.
If you only want to use one kind of flour you can choose to use either all whole wheat flour or only all-purpose flour. For either swap I recommend adding the flour slowly and watching the dough for the right consistency. You want it to pull away from the sides of the mixer and not be too sticky.
You will likely need less whole wheat flour than all-purpose flour because wheat flour absorbs more liquid. Avoid adding too much as this will dry out your pizza dough.
Yes! You can totally make this recipe without a mixer, it will just be a lot of work.
Use a wooden spoon or other sturdy utensil to mix the dough until it comes together, then knead by hand.
More pizza recipes
- Pumpkin Pizza
- Butternut Squash and Kale Pizza
- Greek Pizza
- Onion and Green Pepper Pizza
- Pesto Flatbread Pizza
- Spanakopita Pizza Dippers
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Homemade Wheat Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water, (105ºF - 115ºF)
- 1 package rapid rise instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 ½-2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add water, then sprinkle with the yeast and half the sugar. Stir with a spoon to combine. Allow to sit 5 minutes. The yeast should turn frothy.
- Add the olive oil, remaining sugar, and salt and mix using the dough hook.
- Add the whole wheat flour and mix again until incorporated.
- Add the all purpose flour a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached. The dough should pull away from the sides and bottom of the bowl. It may still be a little tacky, but should not completely stick to your fingers, nor should it crumble or break into pieces.
- Allow the mixer to knead the dough for 8 minutes, or transfer the dough to a floured counter or board and knead by hand before forming into a tight ball.
- Place the dough ball in a large oiled bowl and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Place the bowl in a warm spot until doubled in size. Depending on the temperature this could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 ½ hours.
- Once risen, remove the plastic wrap and punch the dough lightly with a fist to deflate. Use the dough to make your favorite pizza, breadsticks, or rolls.
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