Nothing says "rustic" more than a wooden cutting board harboring bacteria biofilms in its crevices.
Okay, so: my sister recently gave me her extra (!) copy of the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking: Delicious Recipes Using Nutritious Whole Grains. This book is, like, totally awesome because it focuses on my two main interests in life:
1. Science;
2. Fiber.*
Science. Seriously, there’s all sorts of great discussions about the protein content of flours and how that affects the volume of liquid that should be added (answer: roughly linear correlation, so more protein means more liquid needed). And yeast. Lots of yeast talk, which mostly boils down to: if you’re using the instant yeast, you can throw it straight into the flour and just add the liquid and start smooshing – I mean, “kneading” – that sucker. If you’re using active dry yeast (like, um, me), you have to “proof” it first. “Proof” is Fancy Baker Speak for “stir it into some water with a bit of sugar and let it sit for a few minutes until it gets kind of foamy.” The yeast needs to be activated before you can mix it with the flour, and we should politely indulge its lifestyle decisions.
Speaking of lifestyle decisions, I am announcing that I, personally, have discovered the Tastiest Freakin’ White Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Recipe Ever**. It has everything – fiber! science! herbs! weeknight feasibility! – that you could want in a pizza crust. I’ll even throw in my totally bitchin’ sauce recipe, too.
Herbed White Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
Basically straight from Whole Grain Baking, but with even more herbs.
Only a moral degenerate would fail to appreciate this pizza.
For crust (makes 2 10x12” crusts):
3 ¾ cups (15 oz) white whole wheat flour, plus ¼ cup for flouring various surfaces
1 ½ Tbs active dry yeast
1 ½ cups (12 oz) cool water
1 tsp white sugar
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 Tbs dried basil
2 Tbs dried oregano
¼ tsp powdered thyme
1 tsp dried sage
For sauce (for 2 10x12” crusts):
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, diced
1 parmesan rind (or, ½ cup grated parmesan)
1 Tbs oregano
1 Tbs basil
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 12 oz can tomato paste
Olive oil
Toppings (for 1 10x12” crust – PAY ATTENTION):
6 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into ¼” thick coin shapes
1 bell pepper, sliced into long thin strips
3-4 oz button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced into rings
Olive oil
Directions:
1. Proof the yeast (unless it’s instant yeast, in which case, just go to the next step) by stirring it into ½ cup of the cool water and adding ½ tsp of the white sugar. Let it sit for 10 minutes at room temperature until it’s foamy.
2. Stir the proofed yeast, the remaining 1 cup of water, and the remaining ½ tsp of white sugar into 2 cups of flour in a mixing bowl. Mix well, , and cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature (yes, even if your room temperature is below 70°F!) for 1 hour.
3. While the crust is on its first rise, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet, then add the onions and garlic. Saute until softened.
4. Stir in the diced tomatoes, sauce, paste, and parmesan (rind). Stir in the herbs and black pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, letting it simmer with the lid on. Stir occasionally to make sure it’s not burning on the bottom, and adjust the heat accordingly. After 30 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit with the lid on.
5. When the crust is done with its first rise, stir in the olive oil, herbs, and remaining 1 ¾ cups of flour. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes, until it is elastic and shiny, but still soft.
6. Return it to the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let it rise at room temperature for at least 1 ½ hours (I’d recommend even longer if you can – the flavor develops wonderfully when you let yeast work on whole wheat over longer periods at cool temperatures).
7. While the crust is on its second rise, prepare the toppings by heating the olive oil over medium-high heat in a separate skillet. Saute the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms until the bell pepper and mushrooms have wrinkled slightly and some of their moisture has evaporated. Scoop out onto a separate plate and let cool.
8. When the crust is done with its second rise, turn it out onto the lightly floured surface and divided it in half with a knife. Gently shape it into two separate spheres and let them sit, covered with the damp towel, for 20 minutes. Start the oven heating at 375°F.
9. At this point, one of the dough spheres can be frozen by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and then putting it in Ziploc bag in the freezer. I’d recommend not putting it in the fridge, because the blasted thing will still keep growing!
10. Gently stretch the remaining dough sphere on the floured surface with your fingers. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to stretch it out the rest of the way; it should be very yielding and stretchable. Transfer it carefully into a 10x12” baking pan that’s been lightly oiled with olive oil.
11. Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes (chewy vs. crunchy) at 375°F. Remove when done, and if baking the second crust now, cook that one for 10-15 min. Let the crust(s) cool slightly while you increase the oven’s temperature to 425°F.
12. Spread half of the sauce on the crust and add half of the toppings. Place the mozzarella coins on top, then distribute the remaining toppings on top of those. Optionally, sprinkle with additional grated parmesan.
13. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 425°F. Remove and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer out of the pan (support the middle with a spatula) onto a cutting board.
* Yeah, uh…I sort of spent ages 13-17 perpetually constipated. Try not loving the fiber after a formative experience like that.
** Guys, guys, there are recipes in books!
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