Whole Wheat Pizza

I left my pizza stone in Pennsylvania. Bury my heart at wounded pizzas. Or something. Or, right, that's how I felt about things, if you'll run with me along a very tenuous metaphor. Making pizza without a pizza stone is not delicious. I mean, it's made of pizza parts so it's not like terrible, but those parts on that stone are definitely more delicious.

Stone-hot-bettered. But I can't buy two of everything when, in summer, my things and loved ones will all rejoin/joice. So, I'm figuring out how to make a better pizza without a pizza stone and here is what I figured: bake the pizza on a cookie sheet, sitting on the bottom of your oven, not on a rack, for a while, then move it up to a rack near the top of your oven. CONDUCT/CONVECT, that is our aim.

And, pals, this method is totally awesome. I'm almost smug when thinking about a pizza stone now. But not really. But, yeah, really. Here, the bottom crisps. The top browns. All the parts, at their best.

(UPDATE: I just realized this only really works for gas ovens, as electric ovens have a winding metal heat element at their bases that you should not put a pizza directly onto, probably. Electric oveners, your best bet is, I would guess, to put the pizza on the lowest rack for a little while, then the top rack for a little while. Or get a pizza stone, for reals.)

Here's a recipe for the crust you see above.

1 1/8 cups warm (not hot) water
1 packet active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil


In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture looks milky and smells like bread.

In the bowl of your food processor, combine the flours and salt. Pulse the machine a few times, then turn on and slowly add olive oil, followed by the yeast-water mixture. Knead with the processor until just after a ball of dough forms.

With your pizza stone inside, preheat your oven to its hottest (non-broil) setting.


Place the dough in the bowl, covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel, to rise for an hour or an hour and a half. The dough should be doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and set it on a clean, floured work surface. Divide the ball in half. (This recipe makes two pizza crusts. What will you top yours with?.) Then, gently press one of the dough balls out into a large round, turning it as you go and adding flour (not too much!) as needed. 


Generously sprinkle a cookie sheet with cornmeal and transfer your pizza crust onto it. Top as you wish. This one has chopped canned tomatoes, dry basil, garlic, onions, and fresh mozzarella.


Bake the pizza for about five minutes on the bottom of your oven and for another few on the top rack until browning all around.