Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Whole-Multigrain Pizza Dough

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 3 hr 10 min
  • Prep: 10 min
  • Inactive: 2 hr 50 min
  • Cook: 10 min
  • Yield: 1 pound pizza dough
Not all multigrain products are equal; in fact, most are made with refined white flour. For this dough we used white whole-wheat flour, a relative of the red wheat variety but with the same nutritional value, and we added quinoa and whole-grain bulgur wheat for extra fiber. We also added seeds, like sunflower and flax; the flaxseeds are ground to make them easier to digest and more nutritionally available.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot. Add the bulgur and quinoa and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer the grains to a fine-mesh strainer and hold under cold water to stop the cooking. Let the grains drain in the strainer for 15 minutes, then spread them out on a thick layer of paper towels to absorb any extra moisture. Meanwhile, coarsely grind the flaxseeds in a spice grinder, just to break them open.
  2. Stir together the warm water, agave and yeast in a measuring cup or small bowl. Let sit until a small layer of foam develops at the top, 3 to 5 minutes. (If this doesn't happen, discard and try again with new yeast.)
  3. Whisk the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl; add the foamy yeast mixture and olive oil and mix together with a stiff rubber spatula. When the dough starts to come together, mix in the cooked grains, ground flaxseeds and sunflower seeds; form the dough into a uniform ball in the center of the bowl. Be sure to scrape and use any dough stuck to the sides. The dough will be very sticky at this stage. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and keep in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  4. Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour. Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on a clean, dry work surface. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, working in just enough flour to make the dough less sticky but still moist to the touch. Flour your hands periodically to prevent sticking. Form the dough into one single ball or divide it into smaller balls. Place the dough ball(s) on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the dough can be shaped and cooked as desired.

Cook’s Note

When you are stretching the dough, the whole grains and seeds may poke holes in it. Just patch them over and continue. Keep parbaked pizza shells on hand for quick weeknight meals. Roll the dough out into rounds and bake on a preheated pizza stone or baking sheet at 500 degrees F for 5 minutes. Cool, wrap the pizza shells well and freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to serve, add your favorite toppings to the frozen pizza shell and bake on a preheated pizza stone or baking sheet at 500 degrees F until hot.