Crispy Thin Crust Pizza Recipe | Healthy whole wheat pizza

Step by step Crispy Thin Crust Pizza Recipe

Thin crust pizza … ohh I love pizza ! and I believe most of us love pizza. Whenever I feel to do some party it mostly end up in a pizza party. However, the after party effect are generally heavy stomach and a guilt of eating lot of unhealthy calories. So whenI tried this home made whole wheat pizza and guess what ?

I found my super duper party food. I think I can’t eat any other pizza now. It is really  crispy, golden brown, and just greasy enough without overpowering the sauce underneath. I feel as I can die (not really ;-)) for this whole wheat thin crust pizza.

Did you know ?
Restaurants increase flavour by putting monosodium glutamate (MSG) in their pizza. Glutamate cause umami taste. “Umami” means delicious in Japanese which is described as rich and savoury. Umami and glutamate enhance flavour, causing people to eat and crave a particular food more.

What is MSG ?

Monosodium glutamate (MSG, also known as sodium glutamate) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acid. Glutamate is found in tomatoes, parmesan cheese and mushrooms (This list is not exhaustive).

Why restaurant pizza taste so good ?

Yes I know what you are thinking that it’s the MSG found in chesse, tomato and other ingredients. However that’s not the case, the trick lies behind the addition of artificial MSG. Increased amount of MSG tricks the brain, It makes us believe that that what we are eating is very tasty and makes us want it even more.

Effect of MSG on body?

There are few common side effects of MSG and hidden MSG additives such as headaches, obesity and depression. Its an excitotoxin and its effect on the brain is toxic. It has also been linked to learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

There are some  hidden MSG additives restaurants adds in there pizza. Next time you visit any restaurant before ordering pizza look for these names, again below list is not exhaustive.

Autolyzed Yeast Extract
Textured or Hydrolyzed Proteins
Hydrolyzed Corn
Modified Starches
Disodium Inosinate or Disodium Guanylate
Trans fats – Partially Hydrogenated Oils
Soybean Oil
Enriched Flour
Sodium Nitrite
Enriched Flour
Artificial Colours

I thinks I have scared you a lot but trust me its always better to be informed than sorry.  I don’t think we can completely boycottt eating pizza from resaturants, however we can certainly change our eating habits and eat more responsibly.

Sometimes a traditional slice of pizza is what we need to satisfy our craving, but a few alternatives to adjust the nutritional content of the pizza we eat can allow us to enjoy more of what we want while giving us less of what we don’t need.

Now I am closing my chatterbox and over to the recipe.

I have made this crispy thin crust pizza with whole wheat flour. I love using whole wheat flour in my pizza recipes because it has high gluten content. It also has high protein content 12- 14 %. More the gluten and protein, the more the easier it is to form large, robust, stretchy bubbles in your pizza base. Protein is linked up strongly to form elastic and tough matrix when dough is kneaded. That is why kneading is so important to get best thin crust pizza.
Same is applied for resting time. Letting the dough rest increase the gluten formation.

In this crispy thin crust pizza recipe, I have used blend of low moisture mozzarella and parmesan cheese. You can use any cheese. I have also used fresh mozzarella cheese  earlier but it made my pizza watery.
To bake pizza in oven, stone works well but I used non-stick baking tray.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup to 1 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (mixed herbs)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

For topping

Crushed tomato puree or pizza sauce
Any vegetables of your choice ( I have used onions slices,red peppers,green peppers,tomato slices,green onions)
Blend of low moisture mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese

For seasoning
Garlic powder
Smoked sea salt
Torn fresh basil leaves (I used mint leaves)

Let’s prepare thin crust pizza dough

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F / 230 degree Celsius.

In a large mixing bowl, add water, yeast and honey. Water should be lukewarm .  Mix it together with a whisk. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Mixture will turn foamy.

After 10 minutes, add flour , mixed herbs and salt into the yeast mixture. Stir with spatula until the dough comes together then knead the dough with hands to a silky soft dough. If the dough is very sticky, adjust flour by adding 1 or 2 tablespoon of flour or if dough is too stiff then add more warm water to knead the dough.

Now clean your work surface, flour it and dump the dough onto floured work surface. Knead dough by slapping and stretching until it turns into soft and elastic. Divide the dough into two halves.

Transfer doughs to a oil greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for at least 10 minutes but 1 hour is recommended if you have spare time. Meanwhile get the toppings ready.

For tomato sauce I have used fresh tomatoes. Puree them. You may also use pizza sauce or tomato sauce instead.

Now lets shape the base. Throw some flour on working space and roll the dough out as thin as possible with a rolling pin. You could roll it into round shape or elongated as I have done. Dough keeps springing back, keep it rolling. You can also roll it on parchment paper as I did in ‘makki di roti recipe‘. It makes rolling the dough easy. When you roll it, dough will stick to parchment paper but don’t worry as you’ll bake the pizza right on the parchment paper. As it cooks, the dough will release from the parchment or you can peel it.

Transfer dough to a non stick baking pan (If non-stick baking pan is not available , lightly grease it with cooking spray). Brush the outer 1-inch of the dough with a light coating of olive oil or butter.
Add tomatoes puree or pizza sauce of your choice into the center of each pizza. Bake for another 4 minutes, then sprinkle cheese and vegetables on the top. Garnish with some seasoning of your choice. Bake the pizza for another 9-10 minutes on the top rack until the crust is lightly golden. Just keep and eye on it since the settings & timings in different ovens can differ. Toppings will be cooked by then.

Remove the pizza and let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing. Enjoy delicious thin Crust pizza with so much goodness.

Recipe card – Crispy Thin Crust Pizza Recipe 

4 from 1 vote

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rispy Thin Crust Pizza Recipe | Healthy whole wheat homemade pizza

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Whole wheat Crispy thin crust healthy pizza is really golden brown, and just greasy enough without overpowering the sauce underneath. I feel as I can die for this whole wheat thin crust pizza.

Course: Mains

Cuisine: International

Servings: 10 inch 2 Pizza

Author: Rachna's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning mixed herbs
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• For topping
• Crushed tomato puree or pizza sauce
• Any vegetables of your choice I have used onions slices,red peppers,green peppers,tomato slices,green onions
• Blend of low moisture mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese
• For seasoning
• Garlic powder
• Smoked sea salt
• Torn fresh basil leaves I used mint leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F / 230 degree Celsius.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add water, yeast and honey.
3. Water should be lukewarm .
4. Mix it together with a whisk. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
5. Mixture will turn foamy.
6. After 10 minutes, add flour , mixed herbs and salt into the yeast mixture.
7. Stir with spatula until the dough comes together then knead the dough with hands to a silky soft dough.
8. If the dough is very sticky, adjust flour by adding 1 or 2 tablespoon of flour or if dough is too stiff then add more warm water to knead the dough.
9. Now clean your work surface, flour it and dump the dough onto floured work surface.
10. Knead dough by slapping and stretching until it turns into soft and elastic.
11. Divide the dough into two halves.
12. Transfer doughs to a oil greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for at least 10 minutes but 1 hour is recommended if you have spare time.
13. Meanwhile get the toppings ready.
14. For tomato sauce I have used fresh tomatoes. Puree them.
15. You may also use pizza sauce or tomato sauce instead.
16. Now lets shape the base.
17. Throw some flour on working space and roll the dough out as thin as possible with a rolling pin. You could roll it into round shape or elongated as I have done. Dough keeps springing back, keep it rolling.
18. You can also roll it on parchment paper as I did in 'makki di roti recipe'.
19. It makes rolling the dough easy.
20. When you roll it, dough will stick to parchment paper but don't worry as you’ll bake the pizza right on the parchment paper.
21. As it cooks, the dough will release from the parchment or you can peel it.
22. Transfer dough to a non stick baking pan (If non-stick baking pan is not available , lightly grease it with cooking spray).
23. Brush the outer 1- inch of the dough with a light coating of olive oil or butter.
24. Add tomatoes puree or pizza sauce of your choice into the center of each pizza.
25. Bake for 4 minutes, then sprinkle cheese and vegetables on the top. Garnish with some seasoning of your choice.
26. Bake the pizza for another 9-10 minutes on the top rack until the crust is lightly golden.
27. Just keep and eye on it since the settings & timings in different ovens can differ.
28. Toppings will be cooked by then.
29. Remove the pizza and let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing.
30. Enjoy delicious thin Crust pizza with so much goodness.