Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

It's amazing the things you learn about people when you live with them. Over the years I've learned a lot about a wide array of sleepwalking tendencies, the techniques for killing spiders with air freshener, the importance of cleaning off the stairs, and how to find a pair of lost glasses that your roommate misplaced because she was so tired the night before when she went to bed that she can't remember where she put them. Just to name a few.

I've also learned what it's like to have great friends around to do things with on a moments notice. I am so grateful for the wonderful roommates I've had over the years and the great husband I live with now. I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.

One time, back in the old red house that I talk about all the time, we decided to make pizza. We pulled our resources together and had some great topping options, but unfortunately, we only had a very small handful of each. So we went ahead and did what we could. It turned out that every pizza slice was different, and everyone that ate supper that night had a different pizza experience. It's funny how something so unremarkable sticks with you and turns into one of the great memories you have of a certain place.

I don't remember for sure, but there is a good chance that this was the crust for our patchwork pizza. It's a recipe from my friend Franky, who dug it out of a notebook a few weeks ago when I was complaining about the planning ahead that homemade pizza crust takes. This recipe is super fast, and the dough all comes together as quickly as you can get your toppings ready. Pizza at our house is always a last minute idea, so the speediness of this crust was exactly what I needed.

Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
Makes 1 large pizza or two small pizzas

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon (1 packet) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water, abour 115°
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 500°. In a bowl, combine the 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the hot water and the olive oil. Pour the water mixture on top of the dry ingredients, but do not stir. Allow to bowl to sit untouched for 10 minutes.

2. After the 10 minutes, stir the dough together, then move the dough to a well floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes while adding up to a 1/2 cup more all-purpose flour. The dough should be smooth and slightly stretchy. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Place a baking stone in the oven to heat up and prepare the toppings for your pizza.

3. When you are ready to assemble the pizza, use all the dough for one large pizza or divide the dough in half for two small pizzas. Stretch and roll the dough out on a cutting board or a pizza peel sprinkled very generously with corn meal. When the crust is at your desired thickness, add the toppings, leaving a 1 to 2 inch boarder around the edge of the dough. When you have assembled all your toppings, fold up the remaining edge of the dough to form the outside crust.

4. Slide the pizza into the hot stone in the oven. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes for thin crust and 10 to 15 to a thicker crust, or until the outer crust is golden and the pizza is slightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Adapted from my good friend Frances.