Pizza Crust Success

A couple weeks ago, I bought a jar of yeast. I was determined to make delicious pizza crust. Fail. Fail. Fail. For some unbeknownst (wow, I don't think I have ever type that word before...weird.) reason, the yeast would never set up. I was worried I had a dud jar, so I tested it:

Definitely not a dud. Which means I'm just handicapped at using yeast. Well, at least I decided to try just one more time before I gave up!

This crust recipe is actually really fantastic. I love that its whole wheat and simple. For how few ingredients are necessary, the flavor of the crust is really something special. And paired with some favorite veggies? Glorious.

Perfect Pizza Crust

barely adapted from AllRecipes

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 ½ cups warm water (110 degrees F--really important!)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 ¼ cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Mix in yeast, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy. 2. Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 3. When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled. 4. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Spread over pizza wheel or I just used a baking sheet wrapped in foil. 5. Bake for five minutes at 500 degrees, then pull out. Cover with desired toppings and cheese. Reduce the oven heat to 425 degrees and then bake for another 10-12 minutes.

Roasted Veggie Pizza

adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• ¼ cup water
• 5 ounces spinach leaves, chopped (about 6 cups)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used half cheddar/half mozzarella)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• ½ batch Perfect Pizza Crust (see above)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Pre-bake pizza dough according to instructions (see above). 2. Steam broccoli until crisp-tender (in the microwave, about 4 minutes). Add in spinach and steam for 1-2 minutes longer. Cut tomatoes in half. 3. Toss broccoli, spinach, and tomatoes in olive oil. Season generously with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. 4. Spread veggie mixture across the pizza crust, top with cheeses, then bake at 425 degrees for another 10-12 minutes. Cheese should be bubbly and the crust should be crispy on the outside and fully cooked.

Servings: 6
Calories: 302
Protein: 9.2g