Whole Wheat Vegan Pizza Dough

Pizza is a favorite of most people. If it's not then you haven't had good pizza. When we used to have pizza night I would buy pre-made pizza dough from the store, then I would just roll it out and make our pizzas. But then I got the courage to try to make my own dough, and that's when I realized how easy and cheap it was to make my own. Then when I tried it, it was a world of difference in taste. It was just so much fresher tasting with a softer texture.

Dough Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup

2 cups whole wheat flour, spooned into measuring cup

1 teaspoon sugar

1 envelope instant dry yeast, or 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F

3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Using a bowl or stand mixer, place the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in it, and give it a quick mix. Add the warm water and olive oil and mix until the dough forms into a ball. Let it kneed for 5 minutes in the mixer or by hand. If the dough is somewhat sticky, slowly add flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

In a large bowl add a bit of olive oil and place the dough in the oiled bowl. Cover the dough in the olive oil by rubbing the dough on the oil on all surfaces of it. Place plastic wrap on the bowl, or cover with a towel, and place in a warm area of the house. Let it stand for 1 hour until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Punch down the dough and divide into 2 balls. These will make 2 large pizzas. Divide into 4 balls for 3 small pizzas, and divide into 3 balls for 3 medium pizzas.

Place the dough on a well floured surface and using a rolling pin roll out the dough to the desired thickness. We prefer thin crust, so we roll it out until it's less than 1/4 inch. It will rise a little bit in the oven when baking.

Place your favorite pizza sauce and toppings accordingly. For vegan cheese we typically use Daiya.

Bake for 8-12 minutes. Be sure to check the pizza around the 8 minute mark to make sure the cheese is melted and the crust has started to crisp up. Just make sure to check it so it doesn't burn the edges. Different ovens cook faster than others, so check on your pizza often.

*Tip: If you'd prefer a white crust pizza just substitute 2 cups all-purpose flour for the whole wheat flour. Making it 4 cups all-purpose flour, total.

Brazilian Inspired Pizza:

1 pizza dough, rolled out to desired thickness

1/4 cup pizza sauce

1/2-1 cup vegan cheese

12 green olives, sliced

1 can of heart of palm, sliced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

This is one of our favorite pizzas to make. Don't skip out on any of these toppings. The oregano at the end really gives it a nice flavor. If you haven't tried heart of palm, now is the time! It's absolutely delicious on a pizza, salad, or salty pie. Hopefully I'll be sharing some more recipes using heart of palm, because it's delicious!

If you have children at home, this is a great recipe to make with them. They can help make the dough with you, or even make extra dough and let them play with it. This helps develop their skills and confidence in the kitchen.

Also my boys love to add the toppings to the pizza when we make ours. It's not usually very scattered throughout the entire pizza, but they do make it on the dough. Just be creative when allowing the little ones to help make pizza for dinner. It might make a small mess, but the joy they get is worth it all.

Of course the best part is when we get to eat it together and enjoy the meal and family time. Even having the little ones clean up afterwards is a wonderful thing. Give the little ones a wet washcloth to clean up the counter. A broom to sweep up the spilt flour off the floor is another good learning moment for them. If they are old enough put them to work doing those dishes for you. It's important our children learn practical life skills around the house. Plus, when they are young it's fun for them.

Enjoy!