Now that the low-carb craze is pretty much over, we are beginning to focus on its fallout.  This comes in the form of attention on pizza crusts made from whole grain flour and multi-grain blends.

In the past, whole grain flour would produce a crust with less than ideal consumer-acceptance characteristics.  It was too dark, too heavy and had a slightly bitter aftertaste.  Those days are now behind us, with the introduction and commercial availability of whole wheat flour.  This type of flour is milled from hard white wheat varieties, which contain less tannin (a bitter-tasting compound) in the bran portion, resulting in a significant reduction in bitterness.  In fact, many refer to this flour as having a sweet or nutty flavor.  Whole white wheat flours are available in either a conventional, fine grind, or a more coarse version, which may be likened to “stone ground” whole wheat flour.  Both types are suitable for use in pizza dough/crust production, but the coarser version is definitely the way to go if you want the coarse texture and spongy characteristics common to old-fashioned, whole wheat products.

Multi-grain crusts are also growing in popularity.  These doughs are made from upwards of 60 to 70 percent of regular pizza flour and 30 to 40 percent of prepared, multi-grain blend, or meal, that is added to the dough.  These blends are typically made from six to eight different grains to impart a very desirable texture and flavor to all types of yeast-leavened foods, including pizza crusts.

If you’re considering how to make a unique pizza crust with improved nutritional properties, give some thought to a whole wheat crust with whole white wheat flour, or a multi-grain crust, using one of the commercial multi-grain blends available from Delco Foods.

Wheat Dough Recipe:

6 pounds Whole Wheat Flour

19 pounds White Flour

8 oz. Salt

12 oz. Olive Oil

4 oz. Compressed Yeast

15 lbs. Water

Follow standard dough making procedures.

« Back to Tips & Articles