Wholegrain Pizza Crust (Vegan)

Wholegrain Pizza crust turns out soft and chewy at the centre and a little crisp at the edges. It is nutty, healthy and hearty and with loads of veggies, the pizza is filling has no guilt quotient.  

With weather a little nippy, it is nice and pleasant and does not feel like early summer. Profuse blossoms bring butterflies and it is a pleasure to see the burst of bright colours everywhere.

Forest looks like a bunch of different hues of green. Some bright, some dull while some verdant. 

Salubrious clime and warm weather make wild Marigolds grow like huge bushes laden. Every branch is heavy with golden flowers. The ground is dotted with wild strawberries. 

It is the season of colours.

Weekend meals ought to be interesting. Younger members of the family want to eat pizza for lunch. Pizza and health are two terms that do not pair well. However, with a wholegrain crust, a pizza becomes healthier.  A topping with lesser cheese, homemade sauce and lots of seasonal veggies definitely add to the health quotient.

We decided on making pizzas for lunch. Since it is wholegrain base, It works better baking the bases before topping. This cooks the pizza base properly and it does not feel soggy, doughy and underbaked with sauce and topping. 

Making pizza bases in advance is also convenient as it saves time and work. Topping the bases before the meal takes lesser time.

The crust turns out soft and chewy at the centre and a little crisp at the edges. It is nutty, healthy and hearty and has no guilt quotient.  

This is family pleasing meal that is healthy too.

We made Pizza sauce at home. If you wish to make Pizza sauce at home, HERE is our recipe.

For Pizza topping you may get some ideas HERE.

Wholegrain  Pizza Crust

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unrefined sugar
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ cup to ¾ cup warm water

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the first five ingredients.  Add half cup water plus a little more. Mix everything until evenly combined. If the dough seems hard and dry add more water until it becomes soft but not very sticky. Do not knead the dough. Just mix everything till evenly combined. 
2. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes, knead the dough until smooth and elastic. It will take about 6-8 minutes. If the dough feels stiff, add more water and knead again. Cover and let the dough rest for 45-60 minutes or until it doubles in volume.
4. Punch the dough and divide into 6-8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. 
5. Roll out each piece into round pizza bases. I made longish bases to fit three into the baking tray at a time.  Arrange them on the prepared baking tray. Cover and let rest for 30-40 minutes or until these become very puffy.  In the last stages of rising, preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Prick the pizza bases with a knife or a fork and bake for 8-10 minutes or until you see a slight change in colour at the edges.
7. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
8. Whole Wheat Pizza bases are ready. You may spread sauce and toppings of choice. Bake for another 8-10  minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is browned.
9. Note: It is convenient to prepare pizza bases in advance if you are planning to have pizzas for a meal. It saves a lot of time if you have bases ready. All you have to do is to spread sauce and toppings of choice and bake for another 8-10 minutes.