Who doesn’t love pizza? Oftentimes, pizza gets a bad rap as a junk food, because it’s is often made of refined flour and loaded with cheese, greasy sauces, and fatty meats. However, pizza can be a healthy and delicious option, too! I love to load mine with vegetables and fresh sauces. We make a lot of pizza at iFit, but we always put a healthy twist on it—one of our favorites is using a whole wheat crust. This recipe makes a chewy, rich, delicious crust that will make the perfect base for your next pizza.

Makes: 1 large pizza (cut into 8 slices) | Serving Size: 1 large slice

Prep Time: 90 min | Cook Time: 15-25 min | Total Time: 1 hour 45-55 min

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet or 21⁄4 teaspoons active dry yeast 2 Tablespoons molasses
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 11⁄2 teaspoons salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 Tablespoons vital wheat gluten
  • 21⁄2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, activate the yeast by combining it with the molasses and warm water. Set aside for 3–5 minutes, or until the yeast starts to get foamy.
  2. Add the olive oil, salt, basil, oregano, vital wheat gluten, and 1 cup of the flour to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed.
  3. Slowly add the remaining flour in half-cup increments until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. The dough should remain tacky, but form into a ball.
  4. Grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, then rotate the dough until fully coated with oil. Let the dough rise for 60–90 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
  5. Preheat oven to 400​°F​.
  6. Prepare pizza as desired. Bake for about 15–25 minutes (bake time will vary, dependingon the thickness of the crust).

 

The nutrition team at iFit is dedicated to providing delicious recipes that are quick, easy, and healthy! For more recipes be sure to follow @iFit.