Something that frustrates me as a bread baker who’s interested in nutrition is when pizza gets called “junk food.” This label is given to food that is ultra-processed for hyperpalatability, lacking in fiber and containing a lot of added sugar, fat, and/or salt. I recognize that much of the pizza in the American foodscape actually fits that definition, but I don’t think chain restaurants and frozen food companies should get to redefine pizza. Rather than get hung up on labels and definitions though, maybe the recipe below and other pizza recipes on Breadtopia can help people eat more non-junk pizza that is healthy, full of fiber and nutrients, and absolutely delicious — just not perilously addictive like Trader Joe’s horseradish and chive potato chips…
This recipe is for a whole grain pizza dough using heirloom wheat, topped with asparagus, shallots and preserved lemons (there’s a how-to for fermenting lemons in the recipe notes). Of course you should feel free to try other wheats and toppings, and if you prefer to use yeast instead of sourdough, here’s an FAQ about how to make that conversion. Asparagus season peaks in the northern hemisphere in April and May. You can usually find it year round, but other pre-cooked greens are also delicious on pizza, including kale (photo below), broccoli rabe, and shaved brussels sprouts.
Khorasan dough with varied toppings
Make sure you check out the Photo Gallery after the recipe for more process photos.
Heirloom Wheat Asparagus Pizza
Heritage wheat flours make a delicious sourdough pizza crust to pair with tender asparagus, shallots, preserved lemon slices and a cheese duo of classic mozzarella and robustly flavored manchego.
Serving Size
1/2 – 1 pizza
Total Time
1 hour, 9 minutes
Ingredients
Dough for three pizzas
Dough baker’s percentages
- *see Notes for help with calculations
- 100% heirloom wheat whole grain flour
- 72% water
- 20% starter
- 2.2% salt
- 2.8% olive oil
Toppings for three pizzas
- 12 ounces/340 grams asparagus (uncooked weight), chopped in 1-inch pieces and sauteed
- 3 shallots, diced and sauteed
- 1/2 Tbsp oil for the pan
- 6 ounces/170 grams shredded mozzarella
- 6-8 ounces/170-227 grams manchego cheese, grated
- 1/2 lemon, preserved if possible, sliced thin ** see Notes for preserved lemon recipe that needs 5+ days to ferment
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- I like my pizza dough process to be low-key so I mix the dough one or more days before I want to bake it. For this recipe, I’m refrigerating during the first rise when the dough has risen by >50% if I’m baking the next day, or when it has risen by
Dough Mixing and First Rise
- Mix all the dough ingredients in a bowl except for the oil. Cover and let the dough rest 20-30 minutes, then work in the oil with several minutes more of mixing. I did both stages of mixing in my stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled straight-walled container if you have one. Cover and let rise for several hours. If you want to bake the pizzas the same day, let the dough double. If you want to bake the pizzas the next day, refrigerate the dough when it has risen by a little more than 50%. If you want to eat pizza several days out, refrigerate the dough when it has risen by less than 50%.
Topping Prep
- On pizza day, prep your toppings. Grate the cheese(s), slice the lemon, and chop the asparagus and shallots. Make sure you remove all the woody ends on the asparagus stalks. Saute the asparagus and shallots in oil until just tender or to your preference.
Dividing and Second Rise
- When the first rise is finished, lightly oil your work surface and a 9×13 baking pan.
- Divide the dough into three 325-gram pieces for three 10-12″ diameter pizzas. Shape the pieces into balls. You can make larger or smaller pizzas if you prefer.
- Place the dough balls in the oiled pan and cover.
- Let the dough rise again for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Topping and Baking
- At least 30 minutes before the dough is finished proofing, begin preheating your oven to 500°F with a baking stone or steel on the middle shelf.
- Place a dough ball in the center of a piece of parchment paper. Hold one side of the paper and with your other hand, press the dough outward from the center of the ball in the opposite direction. Rotate around the dough over and over until your pizza is 10-12″ in diameter.
- Top to your liking and put the pizza in the oven using a pizza peel or in a pinch, an upside down baking sheet.
- Bake for 9 minutes, switching to broil for the final minute if desired. Keep the oven on broil an additional minute before you load the next pizza. This reheats the surface of the stone before you switch back to bake mode and load the next pizza.
- Remove the pizza from the oven with your peel and put it on a cooling rack to keep the bottom crispy if you’re not eating it right away.
- Repeat with the next pizza and so on.
- Serve with additional lemon to squeeze on the pizza if desired.
Notes
For help scaling the dough recipe, check out this FAQ: How to Calculate the Right Amount of Pizza Dough to Make.
Preserved Whole Lemons (recipe repost from Lemon Spelt Crinkle Cookies)
Most fermented lemon recipes have you partially quarter the lemons and pack them with some of the salt. This recipe, adapted from Melissa K Norris, ferments the lemons whole, resulting in a less salty lemon that is useful for more dishes.
- Wash the lemons thoroughly with warm water and dry them.
- Assess your jar size and number of lemons that will fit. You want to be able to pack them in tightly but with room on top for the brine to completely cover them.
- Using salt with no iodine and no anti-caking agents, make a 4% brine. For example, for 474 grams water (2 cups), you will need 19 grams of salt. 474 x 0.04 = 18.96 This is a heaping tablespoon of salt per 2 cups water.
- Pour the brine over the lemons so they are completely submerged. Use a glass weight if any lemons float to the top. Put a lid on the jar that allows air to escape but not enter.
- Let ferment at room temperature for 3-5 days (kitchen temp dependent), then transfer to the refrigerator.
