Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough

½ cup wheat berries (optional)

1 cup cold water

2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

2 teaspoons honey

2 envelopes active dry yeast (2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

3½ cups all-purpose flour

cup whole-wheat flour

In a small bowl, combine the wheat berries with the cold water. Cover and let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside. In large bowl, combine the 2 cups warm water, honey, and yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil and salt. With a wooden spoon, gradually stir in whole-wheat flour and enough all-purpose flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding additional all-purpose flour as needed to prevent it from sticking. Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down, turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half. Begin to form the pizza by pressing one piece of dough into a flat circle. Press from the center and work your way out until the dough forms a 7- to 8-inch circle. At this point you can use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12 inch circle, or you can stretch the dough the Italian way. If using a rolling pin, roll the dough from the center outward, rotating it as you go. Lift the dough edges occasionally to prevent sticking. To stretch the dough, place it centered on your two fists, held about 2 inches apart. (Flour your hands if the dough is sticky.) Rotate and stretch the dough, pulling your fists farther apart (about 6-8 inches) until the dough is several inches larger. Pull and stretch the dough into a 12 inch circle. Makes dough for two, 12-inch pizzas.

Cook’s notes: Wheat berries are an optional ingredient in this dough, but I suggest adding them if you can because they provide a great texture and consistency.

Kathy Kingsly, About.com