Kneading for Shah

I had to put my 18-year-old cat Shah to sleep today. It is gut-wrenchingly sad, more than I expected. She always loved to knead my belly, so in her honor I made a big batch of pizza dough.

50% White Whole Wheat pizza dough

Using a mixture of white whole wheat and white flour make the pizzas lighter yet with added nutritional value and texture. I like to make a big batch (which is what is described here) and freeze the extra rolled out personal pizza crusts. They can then be used easily for a weeknight meal.

Ingredients

• 4 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 6 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 oz Active Dry Yeast
• 4 tsp Honey
• 3 cup Water

Directions

Dissolve the yeast in warm (not hot) water and add the honey. Let stand for at least 5 minutes.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.

Make a depression in the center of the flour, add the oil and the yeast mixture slowly, incorporating into the flour.

Flour a kneading board (preferably with a dusting of semolina flour or very fine corn meal) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes.

Let rise at least 1 1/2 hours in a lightly oiled bowl, covered with a dishcloth. I like to put it in the oven to rise as my house is pretty cold.

For 12 individual thin-crust pizzas, divide the dough 12 ways and roll out thinly, again using semolina or corn meal to prevent sticking. Before topping with whatever you want, brush with a very thin coat of olive oil. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes, or about 2 minutes more if frozen.