Pizza Crust (Whole Wheat)

Home-made pizza is surprisingly simple and quick to make--if you plan ahead. Prepare the dough ball the night, or the morning, before, and the most time-consuming part of the process is preheating the oven.

The technique here is identical to the one for the Basic Pizza Crust, using the ingredients from McNair's volume.

1. Place the warm water in a small bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over it. After stirring in the yeast, allow it to stand for approximately 5 minutes. (If the yeast is active, the mixture will swell and bubbles will appear here and there on the surface. If the yeast is not active, discard the mixture and get some more yeast.)
   
   
2. Mix the flours and salt in a large bowl. Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl with the flour. Add the honey and 1 1/2 T. of the oil. Mix with a sturdy spoon. Using one hand, knead the dough in the bowl until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes.
   
   
3. Cover the bowl with clear plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Move the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours to 2 days. (It will rise very little.)
   
   
4. Place the dough ball on a lightly floured work surface. Cover it with the plastic wrap and allow it to stand for an hour.
   
   
5. Preheat the oven to 500^o for at least 30 minutes.
   
   
6. Roll out the dough on the work surface to a 12-inch round. Brush with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. The crust is ready to be topped and baked. At 500^o, the cooking time should be 10-15 minutes.

12-inch crust   

Source: James McNair, Pizza