Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Truly the easiest pizza dough recipe. Mix this whole wheat dough in the food processor. No rising time required. Dinner in 30 minutes!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 2, 2024
How about pizza tonight? Homemade pizza nights should be fun and easy, and that’s where this pizza dough recipe comes into play. It’s ready in 15 minutes, start to finish. That’s a lot faster than delivery!
This quick whole wheat pizza dough recipe yields a crust of medium thickness. It’s crisp across the bottom and a little chewy in the middle. It has a lovely, yeasty flavor with just a hint of whole wheat. I love this dough so much that I shared it in my cookbook, Love Real Food.
This dough doesn’t have the elusive, stretchy, chewy, sourdough texture that I crave in authentic brick oven pizza. This homemade dough is fantastic, though. A few reasons to love this recipe:
- It’s made from scratch with basic, wholesome ingredients.
- You can make it in your food processor (or by hand).
- This dough requires zero proofing time. You can make your pizzas right away.
- The dough requires minimal effort—just a couple of kneads and a few rolls with a rolling pin.
Let’s make some pizzas!
Watch How to Make Pizza Dough
Recipe Development Notes
I searched to the ends of the internet to find a simple, foolproof, quick whole wheat pizza dough recipe. I went through a couple of bags of flour in the process and made quite a mess.
First, Jim Lahey’s no-knead dough failed me at least three times. I think it was because I was making it with whole wheat pastry flour. Lesson learned: Whole wheat pastry flour and yeast don’t get along.
I also tried Cook’s Country’s skillet dough, which turns out to be fried flatbread. No thanks.
Finally, I turned to one of my favorite bloggers and sweetest friends, Melissa of The Fauxmartha. She posted an adaptation of Cook’s Country’s quick grilled pizza dough. My version is a combination of the two and is made with 100 percent whole wheat flour.
Easy Pizza Dough Ingredients
This super quick dough recipe is made with simple, basic ingredients—though a couple may surprise you!
Flour
This pizza dough works well with a variety of flours. Here are your options (use the same amount regardless):
- Whole wheat flour yields dough with just a hint of nutty wheat flavor. I don’t find it distracting.
- White whole wheat flour, which is made with white wheat berries instead of red, yields 100 percent whole wheat dough with an almost undetectable amount of wheat flavor.
- All-purpose flour works well if that’s what you have on hand.
- Do not use whole wheat pastry flour; it doesn’t contain enough gluten to cooperate with yeast.
Here’s how to measure flour into cups using the “spoon and swoop” method:
- Gently stir your flour with a large spoon to loosen it up.
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cup (don’t scoop it in!).
- Level off the excess with a butter knife.
Warm Water
Dissolving the yeast in warm water eliminates any grittiness and allows it to mingle with the honey and olive oil.
Rapid-Rise or Instant Yeast
It’s important to use rapid-rise or instant yeast here because, as the names suggest, this kind of yeast gets to work very quickly. Once combined with the warm water, honey and olive oil, this yeast is ready to go in just five minutes.
Honey or Sugar
We’ll feed the yeast with one tablespoon of honey or sugar.
Olive Oil
Olive oil helps keep the dough tender and pliable.
Parmesan Cheese
Parmesan is simply a flavor enhancer. Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso brands offer vegetarian Parmesan cheese. Alternatives include cheddar or part-skim mozzarella.
Salt
Salt is also a flavor enhancer. No pizza dough would be complete without a little salt.
Pizza Dough FAQ
I’ve received quite a few questions about this dough recipe over the years. In short, this dough is best made as directed and used right away!
Can I use regular active yeast? Can I leave out the yeast altogether? I don’t recommend it. This recipe is really designed for instant/rapid rise yeast. With regular active yeast, or without yeast altogether, the crust is more crisp and cracker-like with fewer air bubbles. Basically, it’s just not as good.
Can I omit the honey/sugar? I don’t recommend it. The sugar feeds the yeast and without it, the crust will not taste as pleasantly yeasty. The finished result won’t be as tender, and it will have fewer small air pockets.
Can I omit the Parmesan? Yes, you can. The Parmesan is just for flavor. Or you could substitute another firm cheese in its place, such as cheddar or part-skim mozzarella.
Can I make this dough ahead of time? Technically yes, you can refrigerate and bake it within a few days (wrap the dough balls in lightly oiled plastic wrap). However, this dough is designed to be easy and quick. It’s ready in under 15 minutes and truly tastes best when it’s baked right away.
Can I freeze this dough? Yes, but it’s best when it’s used right away (see above). Wrap the dough balls in lightly oiled plastic wrap and placed them in freezer bags. Defrost the dough in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Can I grill this dough? Yes! See recipe notes. This pizza dough also turns out great when baked in an Ooni pizza oven.
Can I use this dough to make a calzone or stuffed bread (like garbage bread)? Yes, I’ve successfully made a calzone. Before baking brush the top lightly with olive oil and cut a couple of small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 10 minutes at 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
What if I don’t have a food processor? No problem! Check the recipe notes for instructions on how to make this dough by hand. I imagine you could use a KitchenAid stand mixer as an alternative to the food processor.
How much does this dough weigh? This dough weighs a bit over 1 pound and yields two 11-inch pizzas. I’ve used this recipe successfully in recipes that calls for 1 pound of pizza dough—just remember that you’ll be making two smaller pizzas instead of one large.
Make This Dough & Enjoy These Pizzas
- Arugula-Almond Pesto Pizza
- Barbecue Pineapple, Jalapeño and Feta Pizza
- Broccolini Almond Pizza
- Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Balsamic Red Onions
- Butternut Ribbon Goat Cheese Pizza
- Greek Pizza
- Kale Pesto Pizza
- Strawberry, Basil and Balsamic Pizza
- Ultimate Veggie Pizza
Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Whip up this 100% whole wheat pizza dough recipe in your food processor. It hardly needs kneading or rising time. You can make this pizza in less than the amount of time it would take for pizza delivery. Dinner is ready! Yields two medium (11″ diameter) pizzas.
Ingredients
Whole wheat pizza dough
- 1 cup water, heated to 110 degrees (very warm, almost too hot for comfort)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
- 1 envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons) rapid-rise or instant yeast
- 2 ¾ cups (345 grams) white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
Toppings
- 1 cup pizza sauce or one 32-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand
- 2 to 3 cups shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Additional toppings, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third of the oven.
- Whisk water, oil, honey and yeast in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Allow yeast to proof for 5 minutes. It should puff up some by then.
- Pulse flour, Parmesan, and salt in food processor until combined. While running the food processor, slowly pour in the water mixture and process until a shaggy ball forms, about 1 minute.
- Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and quickly knead dough a few times until it comes together. Halve the dough.
- On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll dough into two rounds about 11 inches in diameter. For best results, roll the dough out about as thin as reasonably possible. Aim for even thickness rather than a perfectly round shape.
- Carefully lift and transfer one of the rounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the outer 1-inch of the dough with a light coating of olive oil. Add half of the pizza sauce or crushed tomatoes (crush the tomatoes over the sink to get out as much liquid as possible). Sprinkle with half of the cheese and any other toppings you’d like to add.
- Bake on the top rack until the crust and cheese are lightly golden, about 10 minutes for cheese pizza and 12 minutes for pizza with additional toppings. Repeat with the remaining dough, then slice and serve. Leftover pizza will keep well in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Fauxmartha’s no-rise pizza crust and Cook’s Country’s quick grilled pizza dough.
Troubleshooting: In the unlikely event that the dough clings to your fingers and doesn’t hold its shape, add more flour, just 1 tablespoon at a time. Process briefly to blend again (or stir again, if making by hand).
Make it vegan: Omit the cheese. Use maple syrup or vegan sugar instead of honey.
Flour options: All-purpose flour will work well here, too (same amount). Do not use whole wheat pastry flour. I have not tried this recipe with any gluten-free flour blends; I’m not sure it will work with those.
Cheese options: The Parmesan is in this recipe for flavor. Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso brands offer vegetarian Parmesan cheese. You can substitute mozzarella or cheddar if you’re out. The recipe will even work without cheese.
Pizza stone option: This crust turns out especially great if you bake it on a hot pizza stone or pizza steel (I have this one/affiliate link) instead of a baking sheet. I have always had good luck sliding the pizza with the parchment paper underneath onto the baking stone. The pizza will bake much faster on a hot surface, so keep an eye on it and reduce the cooking time accordingly.
Grill option: This dough works great on the grill. Lay it carefully on the grates and avoid touching for the first minute of cooking.
Individual pizzas: Divide this dough into quarters (instead of halves) to make 4 “personal pan” pizzas, each about 6 inches in diameter. Bake about 7 to 10 minutes (or less, if using a pizza stone), until the crust and cheese are lightly golden.
No food processor? Combine the flour, Parmesan, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then drizzle the yeast and water mixture into the bowl while stirring with a large spoon. Stir until all of the flour has been incorporated and the dough comes together, then proceed with the next step.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I have just tried this recipe and it’s simply amazing! The base tastes great and it’s so easy :) Thanks ever so much x
I feel like such a sucker for buying pizza crusts/dough all this time! This is so easy and delicious. I’m only ever making my own dough again!
Hi Kate! We made this pizza tonight, it was so great! We’ve followed your dough recipe a couple times, this time we added a teaspoon of vital wheat gluten. It came out just a little lighter and fluffier, and it’s sooooo easy! Thank you to my very favorite blogger! :)
I started your pizza dough and realized I only had active dry yeast, can I still make the dough, just let it rise for an hour?
Hi Jo Ann, I’m sorry, I’m really not sure!
I made your pizza dough with regular yeast, I let it rise about an hour, it worked, and tasted great.
Glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know.
I used active dry yeast not the quick kind and it worked just fine.
I make this very easy dough quite often. I use about 2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast and 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 unbleached AP flour. Works great if I let it rise about 45 min. I use Cuisinart’s idea to let it rise in an oil lined plastic bag, then punch it down and press it out into two thin crust pizza shells.. For me it makes about two 9″ or 10″ thin crust pizzas. I pre-bake for about 5 minutes before adding oil and toppings.
I did! Just let it rest separately in the water, oil, and sugar until it’s bubbly. Then add it to the rest. Worked great.
I made this last week, my first pizza I didn’t cook the dough first and it came out REALLY doughy and wasn’t that nice. Second pizza, about an hour later, I decided to cook for 5mins or so first then added toppings and cooked for further 10 mins and I don’t know if it’s a combo of letting the dough rise more and that I cooked it first but it was so crispy and delicious. Almost better than takeaway pizza!
Making this again tomorrow :)
Too much flour. I could only incorporate about 2-1/4 cups.
You must have measured differently. I use the spoon and swoop method—give the flour a stir to aerate it, then spoon into measuring cups and level it off. If you scoop it, you could end up with up to 50% more flour.
I love the use of parmesan in this recipe, you can really taste it. This is foolproof; it’s so nice to have a go-to recipe for whole wheat pizza dough! Thank you for doing the leg work :) I didn’t have 1 TB of sugar (weird, I should have), but I used 1 TB of honey and it turned out great. Mealy but sturdy, and I loved the flavor.
Made this to use with my two kiddos while pizza maker daddy is absent. Delicious and easy! Thank you!
Also I used 2 cups ww flour and 3/4 cup AP and it worked beautifully.
I’m glad you all enjoyed the pizza! My dad always made pancakes when my mom was out of town. Always felt like a party. :)
Made it today with a slight change in cooking. Made into (4) 8″ rounds. To rainy to grill and no stone? What to do? Idea, super hot cast iron pan in 450 oven. Baked each one for 3 minutes and cool. Freezing the rounds for future toppings and ate 1 with sauce and cheese. Yummy!
Great idea! I’m glad your pizzas turned out well!
I made this recipe tonight and it smelled heavenly, my husband enjoyed it! I ran into a couple of issues, though. The dough mixture was a bit much for my 7 cup food processor. I’m not sure it really came together to form a shaggy ball, but I kneaded it and was able to roll it out. I baked it on an AirBake pan, which I think was a mistake because the crust was soft, but with burnt edges (not the crispiness I was hoping for). All of this was probably user error… I have a pizza stone, maybe that would have worked better? Also, my oven is gas and does not have a heating element on top, so I just baked in the center of the oven. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Amanda! I always make this dough in my 7-cup Cuisinart, so I’m surprised to hear it didn’t do well in yours. I’ve never tried it on an AirBake but it turns out great on a pizza stone (it just cooks faster that way, so keep an eye on it). If the edges were overdone, you may have rolled it out a little too thin around the edges. I hope it turns out perfectly next time!
Disappointed. The crust covered with sauce, mozzarella
etc. never crisped up — only the “uncovered crust”. Tried several different pizza pans and made no difference in the result.
I have made this recipe 3 times and its my go-to homemade pizza recipe. Thank you its fab.
Ps just a note: I usually skip the parmesan and knead the dough by hand instead of the food processor and it still comes out delish.
Use up that leftover Thanksgiving turkey from the freezer! Bye bye bird. Turkey spinach pesto pizza. Homemade pizza dough and spinach pesto sauce. Pizza dough recipe- https://sooka.info/2013/easy-whole-wheat-pizza-dough/%3C/a%3E and spinach pesto recipe- http://allrecipes.com/recipe/200283/spinach-basil-pesto/ (I omitted the basil and used an entire 12 oz bag of fresh spinach leaves for more nutrients; all other ingredients were followed exactly)
This was excellent! Made it in my kitchen-aid mixer and it came out well. Would bake the untopped crust for a minute or so before topping it next time.
Firstly I feel I should point out that Parmesan isn’t vegetarian due to the way it’s made Anything labelled hard cheese is basically the same but suitable for vegetarians!
Secondly I don’t know if I missed something but it was extremely dense- not sure if I missed out letting it rise.
I made the pizza dough using Namaste Foods Gluten Free Perfect Blend flour, left out the parmesan cheese. Quick and easy. Must have been good, because it didn’t last long.
I debated leaving a comment since I tossed the ingredients in my bread machine on the dough cycle and let it do the work (including letting it rise). I also replaced 1/4 cup of the whole wheat flour with 1/4 cup of vital wheat gluten in order to get a crisper crust. Since I didn’t make this as written I have no basis for comparison, but the crust as I made it was awesome! Most of the credit for the awesomeness goes to Kate, though. I have yet to find a bad recipe on this site.
Great to hear this works well in a bread machine, Cat! Thanks for the feedback.
This dough is so easy and turned out amazing!! I didn’t even use a rolling pin ;) actually my food processor is too small so I mixed it by hand too.. So easy! Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Mariam! Happy it all worked out.
Do you have to have a food processor? or can you use a blender?
Hi Katie, I think you’d have a hard time with a blender until it has a really wide base. You can make it by hand if necessary—combine the flour,
Parmesan, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, then drizzle the yeast and water mixture into the bowl while stirring with a large spoon. Stir until all of the flour has been incorporated and the dough comes together, then proceed with the next step.
Hi, Kate, thanks for this recipe, I’m so over store-bought crusts! Just one question: is refrigerating half the dough for later use an option? It’s just my husband and me, so making this much pizza won’t work for us. But I love the idea of saving half for another meal later in the week. Thoughts?
Hi Melinda, I think you could refrigerate the crust, but it is best baked soon after making. I’m generally just cooking for myself, but I’ll make two pizzas and enjoy leftovers for a while, or even freeze baked slices for lazy dinners later.
Hi Kate, do you know if you can make this crust ahead of time?
Hi Kelly, I think you could, but it’s really best right when it’s made.
Hi! I almost never post comments online, but I was so happy to find this recipe that I just had to say something! I have not had luck with past pizza crust recipes and I dislike store-bought crusts because of the additives. I made this wonderful C+K crust this afternoon with my own toppings of sautéed onions and mushrooms, fresh diced orange and green bell peppers, a little crumble of veggie sausage and a sprinkle of vegan parm cheese. My only changes were to make the crust a little thinner and bigger (about 15″) cause we like thin crust and to cook about 7 minutes longer. Oh and I substituted herbs instead of cheese in the crust. Turned out great! So easy and tasty! The family loved it So I will definitely make it again! …sorry for all of the exclamation points… I’m just that excited.
Tried this today for a sunday early dinner recipe. Came out really well.
I don’t have a food processor and this worked out well with just my hands. The pizza was delicious.
I’m glad this worked well for you, Th!
I made this tonight. The biggest compliment? My twin 3-year old toddlers loved it.
Thank you so much for this delicious and EASY whole wheat pizza dough recipe. I have been struggling for months to find one that tastes good and I feel good about making for my family. I didn’t have instant yeast so I used the active dry and let my dough sit for a half an hour before baking. The whole family enjoyed it!
I’m so glad you found what you were looking for, Rima!
I have a question, I hope you see your comments quickly! :) I just made the dough and have not spread it out yet. It is 3 PM and I do not want to bake for another 2-3 hours. Do you think I’ve messed this up? Should I leave it in the ball and leave it out or should I go ahead and spread it into the crust and store it in the fridge? Any tips or help are much appreciated! I should have thought about this before hand, but I wanted to do it while my little one is napping!
Hi Erica, I’m so sorry that I didn’t see your question sooner! This dough is designed to be used promptly. If you run into this issue again, I’d probably wrap it up in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. I hope your pizzas still turned out well!
Love this dough. Def my go-to. Do you think it would work to freeze?
Sorry, I haven’t tried to be sure. Please let me know if you do!
My kids new favourite pizza dough recipe, thank you so much for making it so easy!!!
You’re welcome, Fiona!
Kate, Do you not recommend BRM WWW pastry flour for this? You think the regular works best?
This recipe is AMAZING!!!!!!!! It has changed dinner at our house for the better. It is so easy and makes me feel like a top of the line chef!
Perfect! I’m loving the confidence, Kelley. :)
This was delicious and so quick and easy!
Awesome! That’s exactly what I was going for.
Just made this last night. You’re right, so easy and I didn’t have a foodprocessor to mix it up it, but I think it turned out well anyways. :)
I didn’t know pizza crust could be so easy to make, will definitely make my own more often now.
Great! I’m glad it was straightforward for you, Malia.
Hey Kate! I’m actually making the honey whole wheat pizza dough this weekend for a stagette party Im hosting. How much in advance do you think i can make the dough? Is it ok to make it the day before and refrigerate it?
thanks,
katie
Got a thumbs up from my particular fiancé and thought this recipe was extremely easy (using the food processor especially). I made mine with traditional yeast (which was fine) because it is what I had but will get instant yeast for next time…and need to remember to make it as thin as I can otherwise it becomes a little too “fluffy” for pizza. Thanks Kate!
Can you make the base without a food Processor?
I’m in love with this recipe thank you. It is really easy and quick. I’m gonna try that pizza dough tomorrow
Thanks, Jane! It’s a great go-to!
Welcome! Let me know how you like it, Jane.
This recipe is great…except I thought 500 was too high, so cooked it at 450 for 10 and turned out great!! Was easy to make and spread out. Love it, Thanks!
Happy it turned out well for you, Holly! Sometimes ovens can act differently. Sounds like you know your oven well :) Thanks so much for the review!
I tried this last night, and it was a hit! Thank you so much for a wonderful and quick pizza dough recipe! I did tweak it and did 3/4 cup all purpose flour, and 2 cups of whole wheat flour.
That’s great! It’s a great one to have on hand, that’s for sure.
Would this dough work with brown rice flour??
Unfortunately, brown rice flower isn’t a 1-to-1 substitute. It won’t bind correctly. When using brown rice flower, you typically need to mix with other flowers and baking ingredients to make it bind. If you are looking to make it gluten free, I recommend a Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free all purpose flour. Hope this helps!
This dough turned out terrific! I used 1 tsp honey in place of the T sugar and I let the dough rise about an hour before rolling it out into a deep dish stone. I made a garlic, tomato, spinach and chicken pizza which was amazing!
Sounds like a delicious pizza, Sharon! Thanks so much for sharing.
Can you freeze 1 portion of the dough to use at a later date?
I haven’t tried, but you can for sure try it out. Let me know how it goes, Emily! Thanks for your review.
Thanks for a yummy looking recipe. Can I knead the dough with yogurt instead of yeast. As I have read it somewhere that it can be made with that. What’re your views about it?
Can this dough be made in larger batches and frozen for use at a later date? All about the quick and easy but wholesome weeknight dinner.
How many pounds does this dough weigh?
Hi,
Very interesting recipes.
Do you have recipes for any types of bread
Thank you,
Pamela
Absolutely! You can search for bread recipes on the blog in the search bar. Or use this link to get started.
Maybe I missed something. What is the point of adding the yeast if you do not let the dough rise?
Hi Phillip, it makes the dough rise in the oven. :)
Amazing recepie!!! It’s absolutely foolproof!!! My family loves it!!!
Amazingly easy and delicious recipe!
Never used yeast before and was worried but everything was so super easy! Even hubby and my toddler enjoyed it! :)
Thank you!!
Great! Thank you, Janu.
lovely idea! I’m going to make it now for dinner:) just what i’ve been craving with a healthy twist.
What did you think, Lizzie!?
Hey Kate! I love this recipe, but was wondering if it is possible to make this dough into one pizza for a thicker crust? I feel like when made into 2 the crust comes out very thin.
I would recommend cutting it into two pizzas as you want to make sure it cooks all the way through. You could try a larger pizza, but just not rolling it out quite as far. Let me know if you try it!
This is the best pizza dough recipe I have tried so far – and I have tried many! I baked it on a pre-heated pizza stone and the crust was crunchy on the bottom and chewy on top – just what I have been striving to accomplish for years. I was convinced it wasn’t possible at home – thank you so much for a great recipe!
You’re welcome, Danielle!