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Super crispy sliced whole wheat Supreme pizza with green olives, spicy ventricina salami, salsiccia, prosciutto cotto, mushrooms, red bell peppers, and onions.

Best Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe (For Thin Crust Pizza)

Written by Kelly Published on
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Adapted from my 00 flour pizza dough recipe, this easy whole wheat pizza dough comes together with 6 simple ingredients (5 if you omit the sugar). And it makes a perfect light and crispy thin-crust pizza that bakes up in just 8 minutes every time. In fact, this is one of our favorite pizza dough recipes in terms of flavor and texture. It’s SO good no one will know it’s healthy and you won’t miss traditional pizza crust!

In this post, you’ll learn all my tips for how to make the very best homemade whole wheat thin-crust pizza dough — even if you only own a toaster oven!

Is 100% Whole Wheat Flour Good For Making Pizza?

Heck yes! 100% whole wheat yeasted pizza dough makes some of the BEST thin-crust pizza ever. Not to mention it’s healthier than using ultra-refined 00 flour, all-purpose, or bread flour. I know it’s crazy, right?

I didn’t realize how delicious it was until I created a healthy pizza recipe (even healthier than this dough and with obviously healthier pizza toppings) for my Mom when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. And I have never looked back! It’s super crispy, full of the natural nuttiness of 100% whole wheat flour and it’s better for your body.

Why Does Whole Wheat Pizza Have a Bad Reputation?

Historically, whole wheat pizza gets a bad rap for being hard, dense, and generally not chewy enough, but this isn’t the fault of the flour. While it’s true it doesn’t have quite the rising potential of its white flour counterparts, it still makes an awesome thin and crispy or hand-stretched pizza. These photos (and the pizza video below don’t lie♡).

With a few simple and practical tips, I can assure you this healthy pizza will please even the pickiest eaters. Plus, it’s the perfect yeasted pizza dough recipe for beginner bakers (especially kids) because it’s even easier to roll out than regular pizza dough. Let them add their favorite pizza toppings and even make smiley faces if they want! 

Why We Love This Pizza

Don’t get me wrong, we love 00 pizza dough and pizza dough made with bread flour, but we tend to eat this recipe most often because whole grain flour is the healthiest flour to use (plus it actually tastes great).  In fact, with the entire grain intact it has the most flavor out of any of the 5 main pizza doughs I make (Neapolitan, basic 00 dough, bread flour dough, St. Louis-Style (no-yeast) dough, and pan pizza dough).

  • It has less refined carbs than 00 flour, bread flour, or all-purpose flour
  • Contains more fiber and nutrients than white flour
  • It bakes up like a traditional thin-crust pizza dough
  • It can be baked in a regular oven or toaster oven
  • It has more protein than white flour
  • Whole wheat flour keeps you feeling fuller for longer

While you may be skeptical to use whole wheat flour in your pizza crust, I recommend you to give it a try because it’s better than you could’ve ever imagined — you may even realize you prefer its flavor to that of 00 Flour pizza dough or even bread flour pizza dough. This is a perfect recipe for anyone trying to eat a little healthier and still enjoy homemade pizza.

 

How Long Does It Take To Make Pizza From Scratch?

From start to finish this pizza takes about 2 1/2 hours to make. But don’t worry, only about 25 minutes is actually hands-on (and that includes measuring, kneading, rolling, and topping the pizza). It’s a piece of cake!

Giving pizza ample time to proof and rise is necessary to get the best flavor and texture. You can read all about why over here in this 00 Pizza Dough post. In fact, I like to make this dough 1 to 3 days in advance and refrigerate it because it just gets better.

If a quick healthy pizza is what you’re after, I recommend trying this (no-yeast) St. Louis-Style Whole Wheat pizza dough recipe instead. Like magic, it can be made from start to finish in just 20 minutes. 

Here’s how long each step takes to make pizza:

  • 5 minutes to measure and mix the ingredients
  • 10 to 12 minutes of kneading the pizza dough (by hand or in a stand mixer)
  • 1 1/2 hours for the first rise
  • 1/2 hour for the second rise
  • 5 minutes to roll, sauce, and top each pizza
  • 8 minutes to bake

Overview: Main Ingredients in Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Here’s a quick overview of the 5 to 6 ingredients you need (plus a couple of substitutions). Get the full (printable recipe and watch the whole wheat pizza video tutorial below). 

  1. Yeast: 2 teaspoons (9g) instant yeast (I use SAF Instant Yeast or Red Star Instant Yeast). (Substitute active dry yeast but you’ll need to bloom it first — see recipe notes for instructions).
  2. Whole Wheat Flour: I’ve used 100% Whole grain Italian flour with 11.2% protein (Substitute King Arthur’s Whole Wheat flour with 13.2% protein). High-quality flour always equals a better pizza crust.
  3. Water: Warm water between 110°F-115°F (43°C-46°C). Yeast dies at temperatures of 130ºF (54°C) or higher so if you don’t have a thermometer, think of the temperature as needing to be just slightly warmer than milk would be for feeding a baby.
  4. Salt: Every good pizza dough contains salt because, without it, it won’t taste good. That said, if you need to make a low-sodium pizza you can simply use less salt than this recipe calls for (see recipe notes for amounts). In fact, I did this for my Mom so I know it’s still delicious! FYI, I’ve used Diamond Crystal Kosher salt in this recipe.
  5. Sugar (sub honey or maple syrup): I’ve added 2 teaspoons of sugar to this pizza dough to help with color without affecting the flavor of the dough at all. As mentioned above, sugar is not an ingredient found in typical pizzeria dough. And while you don’t have to add it, it does improve the color of the pizza. (Substitute with honey or maple syrup if desired).
  6. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For baking pizza in the home oven, we add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for texture. And contrary to what most people think, oil isn’t added to pizza dough for extra flavor, but rather to provide the necessary fat for a well-textured dough when cooked in a standard oven. In fact, just about any vegetable oil will work if you don’t have EVOO. You’ll want to only use EVOO for drizzling over the top of the fully assembled pizza before baking because this extra oil is purely to add flavor.

Overview: How to Make Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza

Here’s an overview of how to make whole-wheat pizza. Find the full recipe instructions in the recipe card or watch the video that shows how easy it is to make!

  • Make the dough: Mix the dough ingredients together by hand or using a stand mixer. Do this in the order described in the recipe card.
  • Knead the dough: Knead by hand or with your mixer. I like doing this by hand for 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Let the dough rise (1st rise): Place dough into a greased mixing bowl, cover tightly, and set aside to rise for about 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
  • Punch down the dough and form the dough balls: Punch down the dough to remove air bubbles and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a uniform ball, and place them onto a lightly oiled baking pan, then brush them lightly with a little oil, and cover the dough with sustainable cling film, OR place them onto a lightly floured baking pan, dust them with a little more flour and cover them with a clean lint-free kitchen towel.
  • Let the dough rise (2nd rise): Allow the covered dough balls to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm environment (like the oven with the light turned on).
  • Roll out the pizza dough: Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured work surface or non-stick baking mat to 1/8 inch thick. Use the rolling pin to transfer it to a piece of parchment paper and place a cutting board or flimsy placemats underneath it for support while you top it.
  • Add toppings and bake the pizza: Top the pizza with your favorite store-bought or homemade pizza sauce, add grated Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Grana Padano, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, add your favorite pizza toppings, and drizzle the pizza with a little extra virgin olive oil. Bake pizza in an oven that has been preheated for at least 30 minutes at 475°F/250°C or at the highest temperature your oven goes for about 8-10 minutes. Bake a few minutes longer if you’re baking pizza at a lower temperature like 450°F/232°C. 

Whole Wheat Thin-Crust Pizza Step-by-Step Photos

What’s The Dough Point For Pizza Dough?

As discussed in the traditional 00 pizza dough post, the dough point is the time (or stage) when you decide three things: The elasticity, the softness, and the hydration of the dough. Learn more about how to find the dough point over here and why it’s important for homemade pizza (or any yeasted dough).

Can You Use Substitute All-Purpose or Bread Flour for Half the Whole Wheat?

Feel free to substitute half of the amount of whole wheat flour called for with bread flour, all-purpose flour, or even 00 Italian flour — it’s still delicious!

What Temperature Should I Bake Pizza?

I’ve baked this pizza at 482°F/250°C and as you can see from the photos and video, it’s super crispy and delicious! However, if your oven doesn’t reach this temperature or reaches even higher temperatures, just be sure to adjust the baking times accordingly (up or down by 2 to 4 minutes) to account for the varying temps.

One of the most important things when baking pizza in a home oven is to allow your pizza stone or baking pan to preheat in the oven at the highest temperature it will go, for at least 30 minutes (in the hottest part of your oven which for me this is the oven floor). If you skip this step, your pizza will not look or feel quite like the pizza in this post. It’ll still be really good, but it’ll be much softer and definitely not crisp like this pizza. (*see DIY pizza stone substitutes down below)

You can even make this pizza in a toaster oven and it’s just as good (I’ve done it many times while living in Chengdu when my home Chinese kitchen didn’t have an oven). 

Pizza Toppings for Healthy Pizza (With Photos)

Below are a few of our favorite healthy pizza toppings that taste great on this pizza.

Need the Best Substitutes for a Pizza Stone or Pizza Peel?

If you don’t have a pizza stone or pizza peel, or you’re looking for the most useful tools for making homemade pizza, learn more about what you need and get the best pizza tool DIY substitutes over here.

FAQ: How to Refrigerate and Temper Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Make pizza dough 1 to 3 days in advance and refrigerate it in a lightly oiled bag. To learn each of the 3 different proofing stages at which you can refrigerate pizza dough, check out the full details in my 00 Thin-Crust pizza post over here.

When you’re ready to bake the pizzas remove the dough rounds from the refrigerator (keeping them in the sealed and lightly oiled bag), and allow them to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before rolling out the dough and proceeding with the remaining steps. If the dough is pulling back on itself, cover it and allow it to rest a little longer so it can relax making it easier to roll.

FAQ: Can You Freeze Whole Wheat Pizza Dough?

Yes, you can freeze whole wheat pizza dough and it’s so easy! Lightly oil the inside of a large freezer bag covering the entire inside surface area. Place the dough balls an equal distance apart leaving room in between them. Squeeze out all the air, seal them, and place the dough into the freezer for up to 3 months. There are no negative effects of freezing pizza dough (in fact the featured image for this post was made using a previously frozen dough ball).

FAQ: How Do I Thaw Frozen Whole Wheat Pizza Dough?

Here are 3 easy ways to thaw frozen pizza dough:

  • The fastest way to thaw pizza dough (as seen in photos above) is to place the bag with frozen pizza dough in it, into a bowl with hot tap water. This is my favorite method for thawing frozen dough rounds. The dough doesn’t need to be fully immersed in the water. After 20 minutes on one side, flip the bag over to let the other side have direct contact with the water and leave for another 20 minutes. After a total of 40 minutes, the pizza dough will be thawed out, but still cold or cool. You’ll still need to allow 30 to 45 minutes for the dough to come to room temperature before using. As you can see from the photos, the dough is perfect!
  • Remove the pizza dough from the freezer and place it into the refrigerator overnight to thaw. About 45 minutes to 1 hour before you want to make the pizza, remove it from the refrigerator (leaving it in its sealed oiled bag) and allow it to come to room temperature before proceeding with the remaining instructions.
  • Place frozen pizza in the bag on the counter at room temperature for about 8 hours, or until it’s no longer frozen.

FAQ: What are The Best Ways to Reheat Leftover Pizza?

There are 4 easy ways to reheat leftover cold pizza:

  • Emergency: Place it on a paper towel-lined plate and microwave (not recommended, but sometimes you need pizza fast).
  • Oven Broiler: Place the pizza under a preheated broiler for 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Regular Oven: Place pizza in a preheated 375°F/190°C oven for 6 to 8 minutes covered loosely with foil.
  • Skillet: Place pizza in a dry skillet, cover with a lid (or foil), and heat over medium-high heat for about 4 to 6 minutes.

 

Looking For More Pizza Recipes?

Below are a few of our best pizza recipes we think you may also want to try!

 

I’d love to hear how this recipe turned out for you!

Did you make this recipe and LOVE it? Please leave a star ⭐️ rating and/or comment below the recipe card to help other readers. I absolutely love hearing from you and do my best to answer all your questions and comments. Plus, I love seeing when you make my recipes, so please tag me @BitingAtTheBits on Instagram and I will repost your beautiful pizza!

 

Let’s get started!

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Super crispy whole wheat Supreme pizza just taken out of the oven.

Best Thin-Crust Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

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  • Author: Kelly
  • Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 (14-inch) Thin-Crust Pizzas 1x
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Description

Adapted from my 00 flour pizza dough recipe, this easy whole wheat pizza dough comes together with 6 simple ingredients (5 if you omit the sugar). And it makes a perfect light and crispy thin-crust pizza that bakes up in just 8 minutes every time. In fact, this is one of our favorite pizza dough recipes in terms of flavor and texture. It’s SO good no one will know it’s healthy and you won’t miss traditional pizza crust! Plus, it can even be made in a toaster oven.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Whole Wheat Dough

  • 480g Whole Wheat Flour (about 4 cups)*
  • 300g warm water (between 110°F-115°F) (10 5/8 fluid ounces)
  • 2 teaspoons Red Star Platinum instant yeast (9g) (sub active dry yeast)*
  • 2 teaspoons sugar (9g) (sub honey or pure maple syrup)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (8g)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30g) (sub other vegetable oil)*

For Working the Dough

  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (for oiling the dough bowl and dough balls)
  • 1 tablespoon of 00 flour (for incorporating into the dough while kneading it)

Toppings

  • 1/4 cup pizza sauce per pizza
  • 1 cup to 1 1/3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons grated Grana Padano (sub Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano)
  • toppings of your choice
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling over the top of assembled pizza before baking)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven and pizza stone/grill pan. Turn the oven on to its highest setting (in my case this is 482°F/250°C) and allow it to preheat with the pizza stone or baking pan in (it in the hottest part of your oven) for at least 30 minutes (and up to 45 minutes or 1hr).
  2. Make the pizza dough. In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook) combine the whole wheat flour, instant yeast, and sugar and whisk well to combine. *If using active dry yeast, see recipe notes for instructions. Add the olive oil and salt and slowly start adding the warm water just until the dough starts to come together and you can form a ball that’s not wet and sticking to your fingers. *I rarely use all of the water – depending on the humidity of your environment and the absorption potential of the flour you’re using, you may not need all of the water, or you may need just a teaspoon or two more if the mixture is too dry. See the video below for what the dough should look like at this stage.
  3. Knead the pizza dough and let it rise (1st rise). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for 10 to 12 minutes until it’s soft, smooth, and pliable. Add a sprinkle of flour every now and again if needed to keep the dough from sticking to the countertop as you knead, but be careful not to add too much. Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 2 hours in the oven with the light turned on, or at room temperature (70°F/21°C) until doubled in size.
  4. Portion and shape the dough. Punch down the risen dough to remove air bubbles and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and roll them each on the countertop to seal the bottom and create a uniform dough round.
  5. Let the dough balls rise (2nd rise). Place the dough balls onto a lightly oiled baking pan, brush them lightly with oil, and cover the dough with sustainable cling film, OR place them onto a lightly floured baking pan, dust them with a little more flour, and cover them with a clean lint-free kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes, or until they become puffy and hydrated looking.
  6. Roll out the pizza dough: Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured work surface or non-stick baking mat to 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle the surface and the rolling pin as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Use the rolling pin to transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper (as you would with pie crust) and place a cutting board underneath it for support while you top it. *If using a pizza peel, sprinkle a little semolina or cornmeal on it and transfer the pizza dough to the pizza peel.
  7. Top pizza and bake: Top the pizza with sauce, sprinkle with grated Grana Padano (or parm), and top it with grated mozzarella and the toppings of your choice. Drizzle the pizza with a little extra virgin olive oil and transfer it to the oven to bake for about 8-10 minutes. Bake a few minutes longer if you’re baking pizza at a lower temperature like 450°F/232°C., and bake it a couple of minutes less if your oven is at 500°F-550°F, and Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you’re on a low-sugar diet, omit the sugar in this recipe.
  • If you’re on a low-sodium diet, cut the salt to 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon (or omit it altogether).
  • If desired, substitute half of the amount of whole wheat flour with bread flour, all-purpose flour, or even 00 Italian flour.
  • If you want to make only 2 pizza doughs instead of 4, scale this pizza recipe down by half to make just 2 pizza dough rounds.
  • If substituting instant yeast with active dry yeast, bloom the yeast first. To do this, add the sugar and about 1/2 of the warm water called for in the recipe to a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer if using). Sprinkle the yeast over the top and allow it to bloom for about 10 minutes to make sure the yeast is working. You can skip this waiting period and use the mixture right away if you’re not concerned about whether the yeast is active or not. It’s a gamble some are willing to take. When you see the yeast is active, add the flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir to combine using a fork or your hand. Continue adding water as needed until you have a shaggy, well-hydrated dough that’s not sticky and can be formed into a ball (see photos in the main post). Knead the dough as instructed and proceed with the remaining instructions.
  • If you don’t have extra virgin olive oil, substitute any vegetable oil instead (grape seed oil, canola oil, etc.), but DO NOT drizzle anything but extra virgin olive oil on the top of the pizza before baking because this is solely for adding extra flavor.
  • 2 teaspoons of yeast is equal to 1 packet of yeast minus 1/4 teaspoon. A regular packet of yeast contains 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast. If you want, you can simply add the whole packet but it’s not necessary and the pizza in this post only uses 2 tsp. I use bulk yeast, so I never have to worry about what to do with leftover yeast from individual packets.
  • I highly recommend using a scale to measure the pizza dough in grams vs using measuring cups because it’s more accurate and it’s consistent every time. However, if you don’t own a scale, I’ve provided measurements in approximate cups, etc. For the flour, just be sure to use the “level and scoop” method when measuring flour instead of digging the measuring cup down into the bag of flour and scooping (which will make you end up with way too much flour). Instead, use a spoon or a scoop to add flour to the measuring cup (adding way more than you need to make a mound). Then use the back of a butter knife to level the top and remove the excess flour. This still won’t be as precise as using a scale but will get you closer to the correct measurements.
  • Less is more when it comes to toppings even if it’s really hard to hold yourself back (believe me, I know!). Too much sauce, cheese, and toppings make for a soggy (and often undercooked pizza).
  • Slice vegetables as thinly as possible and pat them dry to help remove excess moisture (a mandoline is one of my all-time favorite pizza tools to slice pizza toppings super thin like onions, mushrooms, etc.).
  • To achieve the crispiest thin-crust pizza, always preheat the pizza stone or grill pan or 1/2 sheep pan for at least 30 minutes (or even up to 45 minutes or 1 hr) before baking the pizza. Check out the main post for why you shouldn’t skip this step!
  • If you’re cooking this pizza in a wood-fired brick oven, Ooni pizza oven, or Kettle Weber converter grill kit, you can omit the sugar in this recipe. These ovens bake pizza at much higher temperatures than a standard home oven and therefore, you won’t need to add sugar for extra color.

  • 3 WAYS TO REFRIGERATE PIZZA DOUGH:

    Making pizza dough 1 to 3 days in advance and refrigerating it allows it to cure through a process known as cold-fermenting giving it superior flavor and texture to a pizza made the same day.

      • Refrigerate the dough just after kneading it and allow it to fully cold ferment (rise slowly in a cold environment) overnight or for up to 3 days. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, portion it into 4 equal dough balls, brush them lightly with oil, cover them, and allow them to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Then proceed with recipe instructions.
      • Refrigerate the dough just after its first rise (about 1 1/2 hours), and place it covered in the refrigerator overnight and for up to 3 days. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, portion it into 4 equal dough balls, brush them lightly with oil, cover them, and allow them to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Then proceed with recipe instructions.
      • Refrigerate the dough balls just after their 2nd rise (after about  2 hours), lightly oil the inside of a large freezer bag being sure to cover the entire surface area inside. Place the dough balls an equal distance apart leaving room in between them as they will slightly expand. Squeeze out all the air, seal them, and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. Bring the dough balls to room temperature (see instructions below for how to temper refrigerated pizza dough balls) Then proceed with recipe instructions. *This is my preferred method for making homemade pizza dough!
  • To freeze this pizza dough, lightly oil the inside of a large freezer bag covering the entire inside surface area. Place the dough balls an equal distance apart leaving room in between them. Squeeze out all the air, seal them, and place pizza dough into the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • To reheat pizza: There are 4 easy ways to reheat leftover cold pizza:
      • Emergency: Place it on a paper towel-lined plate and microwave (not recommended, but sometimes you need pizza fast).
      • Oven Broiler Place the pizza in the oven under a preheated broiler for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
      • Regular Oven: Place pizza on a baking sheet covered loosely with foil and add it to a preheated 375°F/190°C for about 6 to 8 minutes.
      • Skillet: Place pizza in a dry skillet and cover with a lid or foil and heat over medium-high heat for about 4 to 6 minutes (cast iron & carbon steel pans are my favorite pans for this).
  • Prep Time: 12 minutes
  • Rise or Proofing Time: 120 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes
  • Category: Pizza
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 pizza

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