DLB Quick Whole Wheat Neapolitan Vegetable Pizza
RECIPE 75% hydratration (2-Hour Quick-Rise)
Servings 2 balls of pizza dough | Dough Prep Time 15 minutes | Total Time 3 hours
INGREDIENTS
452 g whole wheat flour (I used 100% hard red winter wheat [stone ground] Whole Wheat Flour)
12 g vital wheat gluten
12 g salt
1/4 tsp. instant dry yeast
340 ml room temperature water
TOPPING INGREDIENTS FOR ONE (1) PIZZA DOUGH BALL:
(approximately 2 T of additional whole wheat bread flour for dusting)
1/4 cup uncooked pureed canned tomatoes (do not use the liquid part of the canned tomatoes when preparing the sauce)
1/8 cup thinly sliced UNCOOKED mushrooms
Salt to taste
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ASSORTMENT OF LIGHTLY PRE-STEAMED or PRE-ROASTED VEGETABLES:
1/9 cup steamed (or microwaved) corn kernels (frozen or cut off the cob)
1/8 cup chopped steamed kale pieces (steamed for 4 minutes) and chopped spinach pieces (steamed for 2 minutes)
1/8 cup chopped steamed brussels sprouts, chopped (steamed for 3 minutes)
1/8 cup. tiny chopped acorn squash pieces, which have been roasted on a sheet pan at 450 degrees for 15 minutes
DIRECTIONS
Weigh out each of the ingredients and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, evenly combine the flour, vital wheat gluten, and yeast.
With a dough hook, start the machine on low and slowly begin adding the all of the water; increase the speed of the mixer and continue “kneading” with the dough hook until combined and no dry areas remain.
While the electric mixer is on, slowly add the salt and “knead” with the dough hook for 8 minutes.
Place the dough ball into a medium large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in warm area for 2 hours.
Halfway through the rise, place a black steel pizza stone in the oven on the lowest rack and PRE-HEAT the oven to 500 degrees F.
Once the 2-hour quick rise has elapsed, lightly flour a piece of parchment paper atop a pizza wheel and place half of the dough onto it. (“SLOW-RISE” OPTION: If you do not want to bake both QUICK-RISE pizzas at this time, the remaining half of dough can be placed back in the airtight lidded container and allowed to rise at room temperature for an additional 16 hours, after which time it should be taken out and (without adding any additional flour) shaped into a ball, and then placed into a new clean/dry sealed lidded container and moved to the refrigerator to SLOW-RISE for an ADDITIONAL 24-48 hours . NOTE: When you are preparing to make this SLOW-RISE pizza, remember to remove the dough from the refrigerated container least 2 hours before you intend to bake. Do this by transferring the cold dough ball to the center of square piece of parchment paper; next, use a large bowl [placed “upside down”] over the dough ball and allow it to rest for approximately 2 hours in order to reach room temperature, before beginning to work with it.).
With your fingers, shape the pizza dough into a 10” circle, leaving approximately 1/2”-1” of a crust area, which will puff up further when being baked.
Once the pizza if shaped, use a large spoon to lightly distribute the pureed tomato sauce around the inside of the entire pizza.
Distribute each of the cooked and uncooked vegetables on top of the tomato sauce.
Transfer the pizza along with the parchment paper to the pre-heated oven by using the pizza wheel and placing it on the hot metal pizza stone on the lowest rack.
Bake for 6 minutes. You will need to bake the pizza for an additional 2-3 minutes; I like to move the steel pizza stone and the pizza (and also remove the parchment paper from underneath the pizza) and continue baking the pizza on the stone but on a higher rack until it is ready.
When a total of 8-9 minutes has elapsed, remove the pizza from the oven and top with freshly cut basil leaves.
Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut pizza slices.
