Recipes

Two Hearted Ale Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

This recipe creates a very flavorful, hearty dough for your Artisan Fire Pizza Oven. Whole wheat flour and Bell's Two Hearted Ale add a little sweetness and complexity. This is the perfect base for American pub-style pizzas.

By Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
Serves 7 10-ounce Dough Balls
Image of Two Hearted Ale Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Ingredients
Directions

Ingredients
  • 50 milliliters lukewarm tap water
  • 3 teaspoons honey
  • 5 grams active dry yeast
  • 520 milliliters cold tap water
  • 200 milliliters Bell's Two Hearted Ale, or another well-balanced American IPA
  • 450 grams Caputo Tipo ‘00 flour
  • 700 grams whole wheat flour
  • 100 grams dark rye flour
  • 1 tablespoon wheat germ
  • 45 grams kosher salt
  • Olive oil

NOTES

  • All ingredients are measured by weight. Metric measurements are used for added precision (1 gram = 0.035 ounces) and to make it easier to calculate the hydration (ratio of wet to dry ingredients by weight).
Directions

Dissolve the honey in the warm water. Stir in the yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes to activate. It should become quite frothy.

Combine the whole wheat flour, dark rye flour and wheat germ in a large mixing bowl.

Place the cold water and beer in another large mixing bowl. Add roughly 1/3 of the flour mixture to the liquid. Stir well to create a batter. Your batter should be completely free of lumps. Add half of the remaining flour to the batter and stir well to combine. Mix the salt into the final dry third of the flour mixture, and then add the flour and salt mixture to the dough in progress. Work into the dough as much as possible inside the bowl, then transfer from the bowl onto a clean work surface. Knead until the dough is evenly combined and has a consistent texture, about 8 minutes.

Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover tightly. Let rest for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 7 equal, 10-ounce (284g) parts, working each part into a smooth ball and tucking in any corners or edges. Coat each ball in olive oil and place them into covered dough boxes or on baking sheets. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Remove the dough boxes from the refrigerator and let the dough rest at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours before making pizzas.

To form the pizza crusts, work the dough gently with your hands. Never use a rolling pin or pinch the dough too firmly. This will cause “bruising.” Start with the dough ball on a floured work surface. Press gently outward toward the edges with your fingers, rotating the dough as you work your way around to create a disk. Lift the disk from the surface and begin to gently stretch it. Once it is about 7 inches in diameter, let gravity begin to help you shape the dough. Hold the disk from the top with both hands. Try to use the flats of your fingers rather than your fingertips. Sway the dough back and forth to stretch it, and shuffle your hands along the edge to rotate the dough as you sway back and forth. You can also stretch the dough across the backs of your fists. Combine these techniques in the manner that suits you best.

When the dough is ready for toppings, it should be about 1/8-inch thick and roughly 12 inches in diameter. Do not create a lip for the perimeter. The dough should be an even thickness from edge to edge. The lip should rise around the edge in the oven (keep the toppings 3/4 inch from the edge).