This whole wheat pizza dough is sweetened with honey and is easy to make my hand or using your stand mixer! It’s soft, chewy, crispy and our favorite healthier crust recipe.
100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Your family will love this whole wheat pizza dough, it’s soft, chewy and sweetened with honey! While it’s not as light as my homemade pizza dough recipe, it has great wholesome flavor. It’s a healthy dinner idea that you can enjoy without any guilt.
I like to roll out my whole wheat pizza dough recipe to make a thin crust pizza. Then I’ll add some marinara or olive oil and garlic, then pile on the fresh vegetables. It’s almost as simple and quick as my no yeast pizza dough and ready within an hour!
Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Active dry yeast: I prefer this over instant yeast but you can use instant yeast.
- Granulated sugar: This is used to activate the yeast. You can use honey if preferred.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Adds flavor to the whole wheat pizza crust.
- Honey: I love the taste of honey with whole wheat flour.
- Table salt or fine sea salt: Adds flavor to the dough.
- Whole wheat flour: I used 100% whole wheat flour for a whole wheat pizza crust. If you want something lighter, try using half all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour.
- Warm water (110°F): Water hydrates the dough. Whole wheat absorbs more liquid, so the amount is more than your standard pizza dough. Warm water is used to increase rise time.
How to Make Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
- Proof the yeast. Mix water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until it begins to foam, about 5 minutes.
- Prepare dough. Add yeast mixture, 2 Tablespoons oil, honey and salt to large bowl. Add 2 cups flour and knead with dough hook or by hands until combined. Then add 1/4 cup more flour at a time and knead until dough is smooth, soft and just a bit sticky. Then knead about 3-5 more minutes.
- Let dough rise. Roll into a ball and rub a little oil around the dough. Place into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 20-60 minutes, or until the dough puffs up a bit.
- Roll out the dough. Preheat oven to 450°F and sprinkle flour on the counter. Cut dough in half and roll it out on the lightly floured surface with a rolling pin (or toss) until 1/4-inch thick and 12-inches wide.
- Assemble your pizza. Lightly brush oil onto a pizza stone or large baking sheet and place dough on top. Spread sauce on top of dough and add your favorite toppings.
- Bake pizza. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Slice and enjoy!
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Tips
- You can also make four 6-inch pizzas. If baking smaller pizzas, check around 12 minutes.
- The dough texture should be smooth and a little bit sticky, but not to where the dough still sticks to the bowl.
- The dough doesn’t need to rise much, it just needs to puff up a bit. This takes anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes.
- You can sprinkle a little bit of cornmeal on the bottom of your pan if you aren’t using a baking stone. This helps the dough to not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Pizza Toppings
There are so many homemade pizza recipes to draw topping inspiration from and use with this crust. You can choose from any of the favorite pizza toppings below, or follow my favorite healthy pizza recipe if you can’t decide what to choose from. :)
- Sauce: Traditional homemade pizza sauce, garlic white pizza sauce or pesto for a spinach pesto pizza.
- Meat and cheese: Pepperoni pizza, shredded chicken, Canadian bacon and mozzarella cheese.
- Veggies: Tomatoes, basil, onion, mushrooms and arugula.
Freezing Pizza Dough
This recipe makes two 12-inch pizzas. You can easily bake one and freeze the other for another time.
- To freeze: After the dough has risen, divide it in half. Then wrap one of the balls of dough in saran wrap and place it in a freezer bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To thaw: When ready to enjoy, let thaw completely. Then roll the dough out on a floured surface and bake at 450°F for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
More pizza recipes to try include chicken Alfredo pizza or this sourdough discard pizza crust!
More Pizza Recipes
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Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (110°F)
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided
- 1 ½ Tablespoon honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons table or fine sea salt
- 2 ½ – 3 cups whole wheat flour , plus more for the counter
Optional toppings: Marinara sauce, Shredded or sliced mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, pepperoni, sliced bell peppers, olives, sliced onion, mushrooms, Canadian bacon, pineapple, jalapenos
Instructions
- Activate yeast. Mix 1 cup water, 1 Tablespoon yeast and 1 Tablespoon sugar in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes, or until it starts to foam.
- Place the yeast mixture, 2 Tablespoons oil, 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl. Add 2 cups of flour and knead with a dough hook or by hands until combined. Add 1/4 cup more flour at a time and knead until the dough is smooth, soft, and just a little bit sticky. Then knead for about 3 to 5 more minutes.
- Roll into a ball and rub a little oil around the dough. Place into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 20 to 60 minutes, or until the dough puffs up a bit.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place flour on the counter. Cut the dough in half and then roll out the dough with a rolling pin or toss until 1/4-inch thick and 12-inches wide.
- Lightly brush oil onto a pizza stone or large baking sheet. Place dough onto the stone or pizza pan. Spread sauce over the dough and add your favorite toppings.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Slice and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Bread, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Freezer-Friendly, Italian, Nut-Free, Pizza, Vegetarian, Yeast Bread
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Is there any other recipes we can make with the dough besides pizza?
You could try making calzones, pinwheels or cheesy garlic sticks.
I finally found my idiot proof whole grain pizza dough recipe I’ve been looking for!!! The only change I made was to sub 1 cup of white flour for part of the whole wheat. The process was quick, easy and crispy-delicious, baked in two half sheet pans, no fancy stones, screens paddles or tiles. Now I can rev up production to keep the dough in my freezer for quick pizza meals-no more $24 pizza takeout!
Delicious and saving dough (pun intended!) on takeout :) So glad you love the whole wheat pizza dough Martha!
Would the pizza bake OK if I roll out the dough and then freeze it?
Hi there! After the dough has risen, divide it in half. Then wrap one of the dough balls in saran wrap and place it in a freezer bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw: When ready to enjoy, let thaw completely. Then roll it out on a floured surface and bake at 450°F for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
this recipe won’t print. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Cindy! If you click “Print Recipe”, a new window should pop up with a format you can print. :)
Can you prep this dough the night before? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with this recipe before, but I think that should be fine! :)
This is my must to use the recipe! I love that it’s made with whole wheat and I can feel good about serving it to my family!
Looks heavenly! I am totally drooling over this goodness!
What a fun and easy recipe! My kids will love making their own pizzas for dinner tonight!
I know what I will be making for dinner tonight! This looks amazing!
I have a ton of wheat flour just chilling in my cabinet. This would be the perfect recipe to use it up on!
I know this comment is old, but I keep my whole wheat flour in the freezer since I don’t use it as quickly as white.
Great tip!
I love that you can freeze this dough. We love making it and having half for later.