Straight from the Earth

100% WHOLE-WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH

When I have the time, I always enjoy making homemade pizza dough. I love kneading the dough, watching it rise, punching it down, and rolling it out. One hundred percent whole-grain pizza dough is hard to find, and this one is delicious and plenty light. I particularly like the chewy flecks of bulgur in this version, which makes it even more tasty and unique. This dough freezes well, so making a batch is a great investment for future meals. —MYRA

Makes three 14-in/35.5-cm pizzas

¹/₄ cup/40 g bulgur

1 cup/240 ml boiling water

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp active dry yeast

1 tbsp sugar

¹/₄ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp salt

1³/₄ cups/230 g whole-wheat flour

1³/₄ cups/245 g whole-wheat pastry flour

Combine the bulgur with the boiling water in a small bowl and cover with a plate to keep warm. Let sit for 10 minutes to soften.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 1¹/₂ cups/360 ml warm water (105 to 115°F/40 to 45°C) with the yeast and sugar. Whisk to combine and let the mixture rest until it is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Drain the bulgur in a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the water. Add the bulgur to the yeast mixture along with the oil and salt. Stir in 1 cup/120 g of the whole-wheat flour and 1 cup/120 g of the whole-wheat pastry flour. Whisk vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the remaining ³/₄ cup/90 g of both flours. Lightly flour a work surface with whole-wheat pastry flour. Transfer the dough to the prepared work surface and knead it until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it so that it is lightly coated with the oil. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Gently punch down the dough to deflate it, cover the bowl, and let it rise again until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes. Divide the dough into three balls and you’re ready to make pizza. If you are making only one pizza, you can wrap two balls in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 2 months. The balls defrost in the fridge overnight or on the kitchen counter in about 2 hours. Bring the dough to room temperature before using.