Friday Night Pizza

We have Friday night pizza night at our house. Our kids love it, and believe it or not it is actually healthy. I make homemade whole wheat crust with fresh ground white wheat flour. We always have vegetables and use 2% reduced fat Mozzarella cheese. Our family would all agree that our pizza is better than a restaurant. . .and a lot healthier!


Almost all of my pizza ideas come from Liz Edmunds, "The Food Nanny." This is her pizza crust recipe that we love! I always double her recipe and freeze half so that I only make the dough every other week.

Basic Pizza Dough

(The Food Nanny)

One 16-inch medium-crust pizza or two 12-inch thin-crust pizzas or four 8-inch thin-crust pizzas

1 tablespoon active dry yeast


1 cup warm (105-115 degrees) water


2 tablespoons olive oil


1 tablespoon honey


1⁄4 teaspoon salt


3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour or half all-purpose and half whole wheat (See Note) *I use white wheat four

1. Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl, cover, and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Mix the oil, honey, salt, and yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl. If using a food processor, add 1 cup of flour at a time, up to 3 cups, mixing well after each addition. You may have to stir in the third cup of flour by hand, depending on your machine. Or mix in all 3 cups of flour by hand with a wooden spoon.

If the dough seems too wet, mix in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is soft. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is moderately stiff and somewhat firm to the touch, about 6 minutes.

3. Lightly grease pizza pan(s) or a cookie sheet(s) with oil. If you are making two or more thin-crust pizzas, divide the dough. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough on the floured surface. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan(s).

4. Let the dough rise (it will not rise very much) while you make sauce and continue with the pizza recipe of your choice.

Note: I like this pizza crust best with half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat. I now keep my whole wheat flour in a canister right beside my all-purpose so I can dip into and add whole wheat to almost any bread dough or pancake or waffle batter.

TD&N Nutrient Analysis (based on 8 servings): Calories: 213; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 74 mg; Carbohydrates: 38 g; Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 5 g

Topping ideas: pepperoni, ham, pineapple, red peppers, green peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes, olives. . .

My personal favorite is "3 Cheese Pesto Pizza." I have the recipe in the week #1 recipes.