Whole Wheat Winter Pizza with Arugula Pesto

I don’t know about you, but I don’t understand how anyone can say they don’t like pizza. I’ve always been crazy about pizza, especially the homemade kind.

As life begins to feel a little more normal after my mom died, I find myself edging my way into the kitchen for emotional comfort. Cooking has a healing and calming effect on me, for whatever reason. So, last night I was thinking about a winter pizza, and this morning’s pizza is what came out of it.

Turns out, winter pizza is mighty delicious! I made this one with a bed of freshly-made arugula pesto (so easy), topped with roasted beets (I cheated and used Trader Joe’s from the refrigerator section), topped with feta cheese and olives. The combination of the sweet beets and the savory cheeses was really delicious. And the whole wheat crust just gave it that extra rustic and wintery appeal.

The dough recipe is adapted fromPeter Reinhart’s recipe for slow rise pizza dough. The big difference is that I used white whole wheat flour.

Print Recipe

Whole Wheat Winter Pizza with Arugula Pesto

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 3/4 cups warm water plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal for dusting pizza peel
• Arugula Pesto
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese
• 1 cup fresh arugula I used baby arugula
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• Toppings
• 2 small roasted beets cut in small pieces
• 1 cup feta cheese crumbled
• handful of black olives halved

Instructions

• For the crust, stir together warm (not hot) water, yeast, sugar, olive oil and salt into a small glass bowl; let sit for about 5 minutes until yeast becomes foamy. In the bowl of a stand mixer add flour and yeast mixture. Using a dough hook, knead on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until flour gathers to form a coarse ball. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then mix again on medium-low speed for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and sticks just a little to the bottom. If dough is too soft and sticky to hold its shape, mix in more flour by the tablespoon; if it is too stiff or dry, mix in more water by the tablespoon.
• To test, gently stretch a small piece until it forms a paper-thin, translucent membrane near the center. If not, mix some more.
• Transfer dough to a floured counter, dust the top with flour to absorb the surface moisture, then fold dough into ball. Place in a bowl that has been brushed with olive oil, and cover with plastic wrap.
• Note: I also cover the top of bowl with a towel.
• Let sit at room temperature for 90 minutes, then punch down, reshape into ball and return to bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 – 12 hours.
• Remove from refrigerator 2 hours before making pizzas. The dough will have expanded a bit. Using wet hands, gently transfer dough to floured counter, trying to degas the dough as little as possible. Using a pastry blade or large sharp knife dipped in water, divide the dough into 4- 6 equal pieces. Gently round each piece into a ball and brush or rub each ball with olive oil. Place dough ball on either a pan or floured counter and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature for 2 hours before making pizza.
• Note: I cheated and made a pizza with one of the dough balls without that last rise, and the taste and texture was very good.
• Place balls you will not use into ziplock plastic bags and either refrigerate (if you will use within 2 days) or freeze for up to 3 months.
• For arugula pesto, blend arugala, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil together in food processor until desired consistency. Stir in Parmigiano cheese.
• To prepare pizza, place pizza stone in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees F, at least 20 minutes prior to baking pizza. Dust dough (and fingers) with flour. On pizza peel dusted with cornmeal press and stretch dough to 10-inch round.
• Spread a generous layer of the arugula pesto on pizza dough, leaving about an inch around edges for crust.
• Slide pizza from peel onto stone (with back and forth motion) and bake for about 9 minutes, or until crust and cheese begin to brown.
• Sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese, crushed red pepper if preferred.
• Enjoy!