Homemade, whole grain Pizza

Homemade Whole Grain Pizza!

One thing I am thankful for about living in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, is the lack of restaurants.  Every time my husband is out of town, I make sure to have a date with my 4 year old, who I call Booger.  Last night, my handsome soldier was out of town, and my son was insistent on having pizza for his dinner date!  What better fun and educational activity with your booger, than to make pizza!  It is a pretty long process, making the dough from scratch, the sauce, and putting the toppings on, but it is the most fun day at home we've had in a while!

This is the most simple crust recipe I have found.  It involves yeast, which many people are nervous about...  but it's really pretty simple, if you know what to look for!  And the biggest bonus, is that you can have a discussion with your little booger about how yeast wakes up, eats a sugar snack, and toots to create air bubbles!

Start with 1/3 c. water, heated to 165* before adding to the bowl.  Add 1 packet of yeast and one Tablespoon of honey.  Stir quickly with a fork, and let rest for 15 minutes, until yeast is light, foamy, and creamy looking.  If it doesn't look like soft whipped cream, start over with a newer packet of yeast, making sure the water temp is only warm to the touch in the bowl.  Once foamy, add in about 1 Tablespoon of good olive oil.

The dry ingredients are simple:  One cup of white flour, one cup whole grain wheat flour, 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seeds, and a good pinch of salt.  Either stir in a bowl, or run your mixer, adding 1 Tablespoon of warm water at a time slowly, until the dough comes together.  

Once formed into a ball, remove from the mixer, and knead on a well floured counter top, until very elastic and smooth.  This is the opportunity to have a talk with your booger about how gluten gets stretchier as it is kneaded and rested!   Set in a well oiled bowl, and flip over so the whole ball is oiled.  Cover with plastic wrap, and a towel.  Allow to rise for at least 90 minutes, until at least tripled in size!

Time to start the sauce!  If you want to use jarred sauce, be my guest!  I was just having so much fun with the lessons, that they continued!  Start out with a minced garlic clove, and about 3 Tablespoons of minced onions in a Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until translucent.

Now, add dried oregano and basil, and about 1 Tablespoon of tomato paste.  I love the kind in a tube, because there is no wasted product.  Use what you need, and refrigerate the rest!  Stir around, until the herbs and tomato become fragrant. 

Add 1 small can of pureed or crushed tomatoes and 1/2 c. stock or wine, and cook down 20-30 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.

Now the dough is ready.  It should be puffy, soft, and sticky.  Punch it down, and knead a few more times with flour, until easily handled.  Then cut in half, and roll out your favorite pizza shape!

Now, comes the fun part, toppings!!  This was my son's pizza, he wanted a star, with spinach, olives, and cheese curds!  Then, bake on a pizza pan or stone, at 450* for about 15-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly, with a brown crispy crust!  And I guarantee, veggies won't be a struggle tonight!