There really isn’t anything my mother can’t cook. When it comes to Indian food, her ability to infuse flavor into legumes and vegetables without adding loads of oil or fat is a true skill. However, the woman has even perfected a thin, crispy, partially whole wheat pizza crust. Friends and family flock to our home when they hear that she’s making pizza. So, if you unfortunately can’t take a trip to mama Arora’s house, you can now bring a bit of her skill into your home.
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup cream of wheat
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- tomato sauce
- garlic
- dried oregano
- dried basil
- herbs de provence
- pepper
- chili flakes
- fresh basil
- reduced fat old cheddar or mozzarella cheese
- feta cheese
- ricotta cheese
- figs (dried and sliced)
- onions
- mushrooms
- bell peppers
- spinach
- pineapple
- zucchini
- spicy salami
- In a large bowl dissolve sugar into warm water, stir well. Evenly sprinkle yeast into same bowl and let stand for 10 minutes until mixture becomes foamy
- In separate bowl mix together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and cream of wheat. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F for 4 minutes and then turn off (optional if you have an alternative warm space for dough to rise)
- Add salt and flour mixture to foamy yeast liquid. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, use hands to bring mixture together. On floured surface or in bowl, knead dough for 7-10 minutes until all flour is absorbed and dough becomes smooth
- Put small amount of olive oil on hands and slightly oil inside surface of bowl and dough ball. Place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Place in (turned off) luke warm oven, or warm area of your home, for 40 minutes
- Toppings: Dice toppings as desired, grate cheese. We often use all toppings mentioned above which is time consuming. Mama Arora only uses onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, mozzarella cheese and the sauce below. Our favorite addition to her version has been fresh basil, sliced figs, and small scoops of ricotta cheese
- Sauce: We add minced garlic, granulated garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, roughly chopped fresh basil, herbs de Provence, black pepper and chili flakes to tomato sauce. We don't measure amounts for this since we taste test and allow our tongues to guide us
- When dough has risen, divide into 3 even balls, knead each ball tightly and place back into same bowl. Lightly oil dough surface as before. Cover bowl and place back in warm place to rise for an additional 30 minutes
- Once dough has risen, drape 1 dough ball over fists and gently pull edges outwards while rotating. Use a rolling pin on a floured surface to extend the dough. Place in lightly oiled pizza pan, stretch dough to fit the pan and pinch edges to create a crust. Repeat with other dough balls
- Preheat oven to 385 degrees F with one rack placed in center of oven and another rack below it. Top pizzas with sauce, favorite toppings, and cheese
- Bake each pizza on lower rack for 15-20 minutes until crust is crisp and golden brown. Then move the pizza to the center rack of oven for additional 15-20 minutes until toppings are slightly browned
Using small amounts of reduced fat cheese, lower sodium pizza sauce, including whole wheat flour in the dough, and using vegetables as toppings makes this pizza a healthier, lower fat and lower sodium option when compared to ordered pizza. Adding fresh basil, figs and other herbs will likely get you hooked!