Quick Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

MSS's Note:

Quick and easy recipe for beautiful, soft whole wheat pizza dough. May be frozen for future use. Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours (includes rising time!). Yield: 4 5-inch personal sized pizzas (or medium, if you roll crust thin). This recipe feeds 2 adults + 2 kids. Credit to Martha Stewart Everyday Food, 2009

• Total Time: 1 hrs 50 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 4.0 small/m ...

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (approx 115 degrees)
• 2 (1/4 ounce) packets active dry yeast or 1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the bowl
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading (spoon & level!)
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (spoon & level!)

Directions:

1. Place water in a large bowl. Sprinkle with yeast. Allow to stand until yeast starts to react and "foam," about 5 minutes. Whisk in sugar, oil, salt. Then add flours, stirring w/ a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms.
2. Using a second large bowl, coat bowl w/ oilve oil. Transfer dough to new bowl. Brush top of dough w/ oil. Cover bowl w/ plastic wrap.
3. Allow to stand in a warm place until doubled, approx 1 hour. (I use my warming drawer, set to "proof" temperature.)
4. Turn risen dough out onto floured surface. With floured hands, knead about 15 seconds. Divide into 2 (one-pound) balls.
5. IF FREEZING: place two balls, OR four shells on parchment paper, in freezer till firm. Place in freezer bags up to 3 months. Shells may be topped & baked from frozen!