I’ve made three recent attempts at making pizza at home. Because I’m a novice pizza maker, I buy the ready-made whole wheat dough from Trader Joes. The first two times it turned out too doughy. The third time it was crispier. Still slightly doughier than I wanted, but good.
What I like about pizza is kids and adults like it. And it’s fun — and quick — to make at home. It’s a great vehicle for veggies and when you make it yourself you can add as much as you want. And kids can easily help with preparation.
But back to the (semi) homemade pizza…
Like the instructions say, I took the dough out of the fridge to sit out for 20 minutes. I sautéed frozen spinach and mushrooms in olive oil and garlic. After rolling the pizza dough to the desired size, I topped it with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and the veggies.
I forget what temperature the directions (on the pizza dough packaging) call for but the time was 8-10 minutes. I left it in as long as I could, over 20 minutes, so it would come out less doughy.
Did my daughter eat it? Well, she picked at the crust and ate some of the fruit I had on the table. Even though she ate very little she still said it was “yummy.”
From what I hear, using a pizza stone makes a big difference. And maybe next time I’ll take a stab at making my own dough. I’ve been eyeing this whole wheat crust recipe from All Recipes that got great reviews.
I think making pizza can be a fun family tradition especially as my kids get a little older. I just need to get better at it.
Any good pizza ideas out there?
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i used to use the tj dough…but i found it would go bad by the time i got around to making it…i also use the boboli whole wheat crust..much more expensive:( i usually put spinach, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts on mine
I’ve never made my own pizza dough, but I’m eager to try!
I use TJ’s whole wheat pizza dough all the time. In order for the crust to come out just the way I like it, I have to roll the dough out a lot thinner than normal.
Thanks guys. Those are great ideas. Will post when I finally try to make my own dough!
You could always par-bake the dough before you add the toppings. I find that this really helps to make a crispy crust.
Would you be opposed to a 50/50 whole wheat and white flour dough? That combo will help with the doughy texture you mentioned.
It’s actually really easy to make your own dough. I think it’s the wait time required to ferment it that turns people off and seems hard. If you can roll TJ dough, you can make this soft and easy to form dough (if my non-baking boyfriend can, anyone can):
(From “The El Paso Chile Company’s Burning Desires”)
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 package dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Whisk together yeast and water in a large bowl and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the salt, garlic powder and olive oil. Stir in about 3 1/2 cups of the flour until a soft ball forms.
Sprinkle the work surface with the remaining flour, turn out the dough and knead it until it’s smooth, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl and put in the dough, turning to coat it. Cover the bowl with a clean towel. let the dough rise until it’s puffy and light, about 2 hours. (Time enough to exercise and get the toppings ready?)
Punch the dough down and allow to rest, about 5 minutes, before forming it into the shape of your choice. Bake it at 400 degrees.
Thanks Adriene! I will try it soon. I think making dough seems like a lot of work for those of us who haven’t done it yet. I’ll let everyone know how it turns out.
The best way to not overcook or undercook the dough I have found is to partially bake it before putting the toppings on (5-8mins) and then finish it off after decorating. Once someone told me that I have had perfect crusts every time!