A delicious and simple recipe for 100% whole wheat pizza dough made even easier since the dough is prepped the night before and rises in the fridge overnight!

So it’s Pizza Week Day #2 and if you didn’t see yesterday’s post you might be wondering what’s going on.

Hand holding a ball of uncooked whole wheat pizza dough.

I’m dedicating this week to giving you the ins and outs to make killer homemade pizza – the likes of which will completely wow you, your family and friends (plus, you need to stay tuned all week because there’s a giveaway coming up that you really, really don’t want to miss, got it?). You might be wondering why I’m posting another pizza dough recipe after my rave reviews for yesterday’s no-fuss, no-rise pizza dough…

Well, here’s the dealio, I use both recipes equally; it all depends on a few factors:
1) If I’ve planned ahead. This overnight whole wheat pizza dough benefits from an overnight rise in the refrigerator (both for flavor and texture) and sometimes I either don’t think about homemade pizza in time or I’m not able to make the pizza dough the night before (not that I have a life, but if given the choice and it’s gotten too late, I will always choose sleep over making dough).
2) If we’re having company. I almost always make today’s recipe if we have friends over for homemade pizza. Why? Because the dough is made the night before, I don’t have to worry about that part of the homemade pizza process. It’s super simple to pull this already-made dough out of the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature and get crazy making pizza without worrying about washing a mixer, planning in the time it takes to make the dough, etc.
3) What I’m in the mood for. While I love the quick and easy pizza dough, the recipe I’m sharing today tastes a little better. It has more flavor thanks to the slow rise and the crust is slightly chewier and more authentic to what you’d get in a stellar pizza restaurant.

Hand holding an uncooked round of whole wheat pizza dough.

Since each recipe has its merits, I’d suggest keeping both recipes close by. Neither one will fail you, and you’ll probably be like me and make and love each one for different reasons.

This overnight whole wheat pizza dough, if perfectly floured, is smooth and elastic, making the shaping/rolling part a total breeze. And it turns out a perfect pizza. Look at this beauty! My new favorite (I’ll talk toppings later this week but this lovey is loaded with sausage, crispy kale, Parmesan, and a white ricotta sauce). Plus, I just can’t say enough about having the dough all made and ready to go – seriously no-fuss!

A cooked spinach and bacon pizza on a piece of parchment paper.

Tomorrow is an important day with all this talk of pizza. It’s the ins and outs (and lots of options) for baking the perfect pizza: with or without a pizza stone, notes on grilling pizzas, and lots of helpful pictures and tips. I hope you aren’t sick of pizza yet because there’s a lot more to come (including that stellar giveaway!)

One Year Ago: Garlic Shrimp in Coconut Lime Tomato Sauce {Quick and Healthy Dinner!}
Two Years Ago: Gooey Coconut Chocolate Bars
Three Years Ago: Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

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Overnight Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Yield: 2 large pizzas
Prep Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
4.64 stars (52 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups warm water
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 5 or more cups whole wheat flour, see note – you may need to use upwards of 6 or so, depending on how sticky the dough is

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, yeast, honey, oil and salt. Gradually add the flour until a soft dough is formed. Knead for 5-7 minutes (about 10 minutes if kneading by hand).
  • Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly greased with cooking spray. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap (or a lid, if the bowl has one) and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
  • Remove the bowl 2-3 hours before making pizza. The dough should be at room temperature (it is really hard to roll it out if it is still chilled).
  • Lightly punch down the dough and shape it into pizzas, top with sauce and toppings and bake in a 475 or 500 degree oven on a preheated pizza stone or on a baking sheet (for an in-depth look at baking methods, here is a great tutorial).

Notes

Whole Wheat Flour: I always use white whole wheat flour which produces a lighter crust than red whole wheat flour but either can be used. This recipe can also be made with all white flour or half white/half wheat. Judge the dough by how it feels, not necessarily the exact amount of flour you’ve added. It should be soft and smooth after kneading and shouldn’t leave any sticky residue on your fingers – but take care not to overflour so it is stiff. You should be able to easily stretch the dough without a lot of stickiness.
Update: several of you have had issues with dough that is too sticky. Again, the flour amount in the recipe is just a guideline, I use more or less depending on lots of different factors each time I make it. Originally the amount read as 4-5 cups flour but as it seems most people are using a bit more, I’ve edited the ingredient list to reflect that.
Author: Mel
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Method: Bake
Serving: 1 Large Pizza Crust, Calories: 1217kcal, Carbohydrates: 252g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 3512mg, Fiber: 33g, Sugar: 36g

Recommended Products

Bosch Universal Stand Mixer
Dough Rising Container
Pizza/Baking Stone

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted over time from this recipe)

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