Tasty Tuesday: Margarita Pizza on a Honey-Wheat Crust

I'm a pizza fan.  I love the concept of it: hot, melted cheese on top of deliciously crispy dough.  I love the execution of it: the smell of the sauce permeating my kitchen as its cooking time dwindles down.  I love the versatility: you can put ANYTHING on a circle of dough and call it pizza and chances are, it will taste amazing.

One of the biggest catalysts for creativity lies within the abundance of choices for toppings.  But for me, I think the true test of culinary ingenuity is found in the crust.  I don't care how delicious the plethora of toppings you chose are, if that crust is burnt, I'm not eating it.  

Most places you go do the standard yeast-water-flour combo, which is fine, it serves its purpose.  But when I found this delightful sweetened take on the traditional whole wheat crust, I was floored.  It was so simple but it tasted sooooo good.  It didn't overpower the rest of the flavors in the pizza but it didn't fade into the background either, complacent enough to just peacefully coexist.  It seemed like the two competing sides, the crust and the toppings, had somehow formed a symbiotic relationship, bringing the other to its richest offering.  Suffice it to say, I was quite the happy little pizza maker.

So, to honor our Tasty Tuesday (even though it's Wednesday), I give you my favorite pizza to make (and eat) with a much more delicious crust.

(and yes, if you're going to make pizza, you HAVE to make your own dough too, it's just good practice)

Margarita Pizza on a Honey-Wheat Crust

1 (.25 oz) pkg active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 tsp salt (I usually leave this out since family members are on low-sodium diets)

1 1/2 tbsp honey (you can lower or increase this to suit your tastes)

16 oz fresh mozarella, thinly sliced

5-6 fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced

1. Mix yeast with warm water, let sit for 10 minutes.  In a large bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, and salt.  Make a well in the middle and add the honey.  Then add the yeast mixture.  Stir well to combine.  Form dough into a ball, cover bowl with plastic wrap, then set aside until it doubles in size.

2. Preheat oven to 350F.  Punch dough down, then knead for 2-3 minutes.  Roll out onto floured surface until it's about 1/4 inch thick.  Using a fork, perforate the dough in a few sections to give allow air to flow through (prevents those giant bubbles, and allows for even cooking).

3. Alternate tomato and cheese, overlapping each other, to top the dough.  Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle fresh chopped basil (if you want).

4. Place either on a regular baking sheet or (if you have one) a pizza stone that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.  Cook for 8-10 minutes.

And Voila!  Yumminess has been achieved.