1 or 2 c. white flour (enough to make a stiff dough)
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 pkg. or 1 tbsp. active dry yeast
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. warm water
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. honey
Preheat oven to 425°F before baking.
Pour flour into a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and salt. Mix well. Add water, oil and honey; mix well.
Knead dough for 6 minutes on a lightly floured surface, adding sufficient flour to make a stiff dough. Dough may be slightly sticky. Oil your hands with olive oil to keep from sticking while kneading.
Cover with a moist cloth and place in a warm spot for 30 minutes to rise.
Punch down and press into a greased 14 inch pizza pan or a 10 inch pan for a thicker crust. Spread sauce and other ingredients on pizza crust.
Bake in a preheated 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.
The conditions that your flour is stored in, the brand and protein content, how old it is, when it was harvested, weather and humidity; these are a few of the factors that influence how much liquid needs to be added to hydrate your flour to the proper consistency. Whole wheat doughs also have a tendency to be slightly stickier.
I always adjust the consistency of the dough when making bread to accommodate this inherent variability. Adjusting consistency as you work will give you the best results.
Once you are able to just adjust the consistency according to your own conditions, your bread will improve because you won't slavishly add a predetermined quantity of flour or liquid, causing a too-heavy or too-flat bread, but will be able to tell by the dough what needs to be adjusted so that it's just right.
If your dough is too sticky, simply knead in a little extra flour as you go along; if your dough is too crumbly, dry or difficult to knead, work in, very gradually, a small amount of extra liquid, melted butter or oil. After you have the experience of making the first batch, using the same recipe a second time is useful because you already know what needs to be adjusted. In this using this recipe, next time you could start with 3 or 4 cups flour, for example. Tip: I usually add an equal amount of white flour, especially for a recipe like pizza that requires gluten development.
Sometimes, the dough just needs to rest for 30 minutes to help make kneading easier.
Keep in mind that the less flour you add, the lighter the final product will be. Slightly sticky dough is OK.
-- CM