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 love this recipe so much that I shared it with friends. I grind my whole wheat and was looking for a fast recipe. Instead of freezing the dough, I recommend freezing any extra baked pizza, but baked with no toppings. (I roll 3 pizzas with this recipe, so they are very thin. I bake for about 5 min. at 350 degrees, let them cool on a rack and then wrap them in plastic and then put them in a freeze bag) It saves great in the freezer and is very convenient to pull the baked dough out, add my toppings and pop it in the oven.
Thank you for the mazing recipe! I’ve made it a few times now and the family loves it. I really like how honey is used instead of sugar. I pre-bake the dough for 7mins, add sauce and toppings then bake again for 8mins. Comes out perfectly!
This has become a weekly staple. It is so light, crispy, EASY to make and absolutely mouth-watering DELICIOUS.
This is the first 100% whole wheat crust I have made that is crispy but not tough and chewy- a miracle! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Chris! Thank you for your review.
I’ve made this recipe a few times now without the Parmesan and the crust is peeeerfect!!!
My go to pizza dough recipe. I don’t put parmesan cheese in mine. both my kids have zero complaints about this healthier pizza dough version.
Excellent, and so easy to make up.
Thank you for sharing, Laura! I’m glad you all can enjoy it.
Hi Kate! Love your blog! I was wondering if you could do a few keto-friendly/ low-carb diet meals? Thank you!!
Hi Madeline! Sorry to disappoint, but I try not to focus on diets but focusing on a variety of good whole food recipes.
Wow! My kids gave this the ultimate compliment – tastes just like the pizza shop’s but better because it’s healthier!
Thanks so much! :)
(I made it without the cheese in the dough.)
You’re welcome! I’m happy it’s a hit.
Wait, this recipe doesn’t call for a resting or proofing period. Have you tried it with a resting or proofing stage? If so, how did that turn out?
Hi Stephanie! All the details in the post. I chose instant or rapid yeast for a reason. I hope this helps!
Do you think the dough could be cut in half if I just wanted to make 1 pizza for 2 people?
Hi! I’m not sure about cutting this recipe. I do know someone tried freezing it once they made the pizza and it seemed to workout well for them.
Amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you! My kids loved it and I love that it was healthy. We topped it with tons of veggies and low-fat cheese.
Sounds delicious, Lala! Thank you for sharing.
This pizza crust comes out perfectly every time! It’s so easy and so delicious too!
The UK is still in lockdown right now and I have been making this dough for the last two days (cut it in half and keep the rest for the next day!!).
Thank you for such an easy and brilliant recipe! Never gonna buy pre-made pizza AGAIN.
Absolutely the best. Quick and easy. Never been disappointed. I use unbleached Farina “00” flour for pizza … Amore!
Thank you for sharing, Rita! I’m happy you like this pizza crust.
I made this vegan and subbed the cheese for blitzed pine nuts, and the honey for maple syrup – and it turned out amazing! Can’t believe how quick this recipe was, and delicious! Thanks so much
You’re welcome, Samantha! I appreciate your review.
Hi!
What kind of parmesan do you use — dry or wet?
Hi! I grate it from a block.
Finally I found the perfect pizza dough recipe! I used self raising flour as that was all I had. Light, fluffy, smooth. Just gorgeous. It’s gone in my recipe book. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve been using it for years now and it makes the best pizza crust I’ve ever had. I couldn’t find any other pizza crust recipe that was fast and used solely whole wheat flour. This crust met that need! Thank you again.
You’re welcome! It’s great to have a recipe like this on hand. I appreciate your review, Sarah!
Excellent! simple and fast I’ve been trying different hand ground wheat berries, I use hard white wheat berries with this recipe and it turned out great and this is coming from a first time pizza maker.(my wife loved it as well) Thank you.
Hi Kate, I’m excited to try this recipe for pizza night this week. My Braun food processor has a plastic dough/pastry blade that does a beautiful job on butter pastry. Should I use that or stick with the regular S blade for this recipe?
thanks!
Susan
Hi! I haven’t tried that, but it may work too. If you have used it before and it’s worked well for dough, it may work here.
It is great, considering it’s such a healthy alternative to the classic crust.
Seriously…THANK YOU! This is so dang good. I added a sh*t ton of seasoning to the dough and a little more olive oil. Added enough water to make a slightly sticky dough.
Crispy crust is my thang. So, if you want to be able to pick the crust up with two fingers and have it stay flat as a board, listen up.
First, I mixed everything together in a bowl and kneaded with my hand. (Not my first rodeo, I always make all my own breads…bagels, loaves, pretzels, english muffins, you name it.) I keep my instant yeast in the freezer all year round and its happy as a clam and rises wildly direct from freezer to recipe.
I put the dough on a long piece of plastic wrap, press it into a long rectangle, and make indentations all over and fold it into thirds. then I lay a loose piece of plastic wrap on top and let it rise for 20 minutes.
Then I press out onto a silpat and bake at 400 until its cooked enough to pick up with my hands and not lose shape. Then I flip it over and cook until the bottom is lightly browned. Remove from oven, flip to the top side and put on the toppings, then bake away as much as you like and it will be gloriously crispy from the prebake.
You’re welcome, Karen!
Highly recommend really simple and so yummy , did add some Italian seasoning to the base as well.
Thank you
Absolutely delicious…and easy. I love the vegan options as I have friends who are vegan and will love this!!
Wonderful, Jackie! Thank you for your review.
Super easy great recipe! I can’t wait to make it again! My husband loved it too.
I’m happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review.
You’re welcome!! I already made it again since my last comment! ❤️
Hi Kate! Thanks so much for this recipe. We made the ultimate veggie pizza last night and it was delicious (as all your recipes are!) Quick question: the dough was perfect and crisp around the sides but a big soggy in the middle. I’m wondering how to prevent that in the future? I was thinking maybe pre-bake the crust for a bit before adding the toppings but would love your thoughts. Thank you!!
Hi! I’m sorry it was soggy. Did you you a baking stone or peel? Did you let it preheat?
We don’t have a baking stone or peel so just used a baking sheet. We preheated the oven but not the crust before adding the toppings.
Hi! I’d love to try this recipe but cannot find parchment paper that is ok to use at 500°. The all natural parchment paper that you link on your shop page says it’s only rated to 428°. I’m guessing you use it any way and haven’t had a problem? That’s the parchment I have but I’m nervous to go above the temperature it’s rated for. Thanks for any other info you might have!
Hi, I haven’t had issue with mine, but do what you feel most comfortable with. As long as it isn’t too close to the direct heat source, that is.
Delicious recipe that was simple to make. We all absolutely loved the dough and the sauce. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Carrie! Thank you for your review.
Yum!! Thank you! My husband and toddler loved this recipe as well! My yeast was expired so that is likely the reason my dough didn’t rise as much as I would like. I’ll definitely be trying this again with a couple modifications.. new yeast!, adding seasonings to my sauce rather than the dough extra cheese and extra sauce! This is a wonderfully healthy and yummy alternative to store bought/take out pizza! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Jackie! I’m happy you loved it.
We made this recipe tonight and it was delicious! Thank you so much! With love from Belgium ❤️
It was great! Next time I’m going to try adding Italian seasoning like someone else did.
Mine actually didn’t rise, and yet it was still really really good! Now I’m thinking it didn’t rise because I replaced the sugar with Monkfruit.
This recipe is excellent and I will be making this again!! Thank you!!!
You’re welcome, Amy! Yes, yeast is very particular. I’m glad you still enjoyed it.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, Kate!
I want to make for my dad’s birthday, but he is on a strict oil-free sugar-free diet (due to health problems). Would this recipe work if I omitted both?
You’re welcome! Unfortunately, you won’t end up with a great crust. They are both needed for this to turn out.
Love this recipe. Best and I use it all the time. Shared with many friends and they all love it. Would like to make extra crusts and keep them so I can use later for pizza party. Would like to know best way to do thst
I’m happy it was a hit!
I’ve tried this recipe a couple of times and it usually turns out really doughy in the center. Any tips to avoid that? Should i try baking the base first without the sauce and the toppings?
Hi! Is your oven to temp?
Sensational! Easy to prepare and amazingly easy to work the dough. I wanted to make a whole wheat spinach pizza with a thickness just above thin-crust. This recipe was perfect for it. I was surprised and delighted when the yeast mixture did in fact bloom as noted in the instructions. Just wait for it. These days I’ve been making my pizzas in a cast iron pan heated up on the stove before sliding into the oven. Parchment paper base. Gives me a perfect circle and a little more heat. (I wilt the spinach before placing it on the dough.) Thank you, Kate! This is a winner. Going into full rotation!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you loved it.
This recipe was incredibly easy to follow, but when i baked it for about 12 minutes, the outer edges were burnt, and the middle was a bit doughy and not evenly crispy. Should i bake at a lower temperature for longer? Or maybe bake at a lower temperature without the toppings first? Thanks!
Hi Mia! I’m sorry to hear that. Does your oven run warm? It may have also been thinner on the edges and thicker in the middle.
This recipe was very easy to follow, but when baking it at 500 degrees for 12 minutes, the edges were burnt, almost black, while the middle was still pretty doughy and soft, not evenly crispy like how my family likes it. Should I bake at a lower temperature for longer? Or maybe bake before the toppings?
Loved this! Better than expected.
A word to the wise for grilling at 500 degrees- the time didn’t translate. I checked at 10 min and it was char.
The next one I checked at 5 min, also char lol … but big beautiful bubbles in it! For sure worth trying again with a shorter time or lower temp.
Hi Brooke, I’m sorry to hear that! I’ve done this pizza on the grill and in a pizza oven at high temperature. How close did you have it to the heat source?
We’ve always cooked our pizzas on a steel plate on the grill at 500! Not sure if either decreasing the temp (we like it all bubbly and lovely crispy) or just the time would help?
Hi Brooke, I’m actually working on a grilled pizza posts so stay tuned.
Great recipe am a massive fan of your recipes!
Do you realise you have lots of brit fans? And we have been using gms and centigrade for 50 years so would be lovely if you could bracket thrm in recipes
Cheers
Hi Rob, I know there are a lot of metric measurements readers. I just don’t have an ideal way to convert at this time since a lot can go into it. Maybe sometime in the future!
Do you think I could use a silicone baking mat to roll/cook it on instead of parchment paper?
I don’t think that would work well based on the high heat for the baking temperature.
This was so good! I used half whole wheat and half unbleached all-purpose flour. I also used vegan sugar and omitted the parmesan cheese. I made this the evening before and just wrapped in in plastic wrap and put it in a ziplock bag for extra insurance. It turned out superb! A great made-ahead dough. I also baked the crust for 5 mins without any toppings just to be sure I didn’t get a soggy crust. Topped it with that homemade pizza sauce of yours too.
How long do you think this pizza crust could last in the fridge for? Hope to hear back from you. :)
Hi Lily, Baked or unbaked? See step 7.
Really happy with this recipe! It was fast as promised. I don’t have a food processor so I was worried mixing this by hand, because it seemed dry. But as I kept kneading with my hands, it came together beautifully without any added water. I also don’t have a rolling pin! And didn’t have a wine bottle on hand ( :( ). Luckily, I remembered how I learned to make pizza with my mom when I was kid. She always patted the dough down and worked it with her hands to fit in the pan.
So, this is what I did as a modification – I greased my nonstick pizza pan with some olive oil. Then, I patted the dough down about halfway, and placed it into the pan. I continued stretching the dough by hand until it fit into the pan, then stretched some more to desired thinness. It baked up really nicely and had a pleasant texture. I used King Arthur’s bread flour.
Great recipe!
My husband and I made this recipe using regular whole wheat flour and omitting the cheese, and it turned out great. Thanks for such an easy and quick whole wheat pizza dough recipe!
You’re welcome, Marie! Thank you for your review.
I’ve made this multiple times now and it comes out great every single time. No parmesan and more sea salt, different ratios of white to wheat flour, etc. I’ve tried lots of variations and all are delicious. I do weigh the flour which probably helps. My go-to for quick and delicious pizza dough!!!
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Stacy.
This recipe was delicious! I haven’t had much luck with whole wheat flour but this was a winner! So fluffy and delicious! Thank you for the amazing recipe.
You’re welcome, Gabby!
Can I use Atta flour for this recipe
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, sorry!
Hi!! Can this dough be used for calzones? Thanks.
Making tomorrow!
Hi Sarah, did you try it? I can’t say I have so I would be interested!
Hello! Yes we did (finally) try it and it was so good. It worked great on our pizza steel…bottom was crispy and the dough was very tasty
That’s great! I’m glad you loved it, Sarah.
Hi, thanks for this recipe. We loved the taste but for me the crust was harder/thinner than expected. I’d like to make it again once I’ve figured out why my dough did not turn out as pliable as shown in the video. It was dry and hard to roll out. I put oil on my hands and the rolling pin but still had to work pretty hard at it.
The yeast mixture looked and smelled right— frothy and yeasty. Maybe my old food processor is too small? I used white whole wheat, honey, olive oil, Parmesan and table salt. The flavor of the crust was excellent. Any suggestions?
Hi Valerie, I’m sorry to hear that! How did you measure your flour? Did you spoon and level it? Too much flour can make it dry.
Hi, I will try the spoon method and since my food processor is very old, I may get a larger one. That having been said, I am still enjoying the leftovers!
Tried this today after the ig account New Ways Nutrition recommended it. It was so great! Big hit with myself and my 13 month old. :)
I tried the recipe with bread yeast that I had at home as I did not have instant yeast.
After making the balls of dough, I covered them with saran wrap and let it rise about an hour.
After rolling the dough into the pizza, I let it rise for 10 more minutes and then baked it for 3 minutes before adding the toppings.
I’m happy I made a double batch as I’m looking forward to having pizza for breakfast