Whole Wheat Spinach and Feta Pizza

Name: Whole Wheat Spinach and Feta Pizza
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 1 h 2 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2½ cups (300 g) whole wheat flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 1¼ cups (150 g) bread flour, spooned into the cup and leveled, plus extra for dusting; 1½ tsp (5 g) instant yeast; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt; 1 tsp (7 g) honey; 1¼ cups (315 ml) water, lukewarm, 105–110°F (40–43°C); 2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 Tbsp (20 g) coarse cornmeal, for dusting the peel (optional); 10 oz (285 g) baby spinach, washed and dried; 1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for sautéing; 3 cloves (9 g) garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 2 tsp (10 ml) fresh lemon juice; 2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the dough and crust; 6 oz (170 g) low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely shredded; 7 oz (200 g) feta cheese, crumbled into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; 1 small (about 3½ oz) (100 g) small red onion, halved and sliced into thin half-moons; ½ cup (80 g) Kalamata olives, pitted and halved; 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano; ¼ tsp (½ g) red pepper flakes (optional); freshly ground black pepper, to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A nutty, chewy whole wheat crust topped with garlicky sautéed spinach, briny feta, Kalamata olives and sharp red onion. Squeezing the spinach dry keeps the crust crisp, and a screaming-hot oven gives you blistered edges in under ten minutes.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 22 min
Wait: 1 hr 20 min
Total: 2 hr 22 min
Makes: 2 pizzas, 12 inches (30 cm) each, 8 slices total

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the dough
2½ cups (300 g) whole wheat flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
1¼ cups (150 g) bread flour, spooned into the cup and leveled, plus extra for dusting
1½ tsp (5 g) instant yeast
1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt
1 tsp (7 g) honey
1¼ cups (315 ml) water, lukewarm, 105–110°F (40–43°C)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp (20 g) coarse cornmeal, for dusting the peel (optional)
For the topping
10 oz (285 g) baby spinach, washed and dried
1 Tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for sautéing
3 cloves (9 g) garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the dough and crust
6 oz (170 g) low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely shredded
7 oz (200 g) feta cheese, crumbled into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces
1 small (about 3½ oz) (100 g) small red onion, halved and sliced into thin half-moons
½ cup (80 g) Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
¼ tsp (0.5 g) red pepper flakes (optional)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Equipment (7)

Large mixing bowl
Pizza stone, baking steel or heavy rimmed baking sheet (about 13×18 inches / 33×46 cm)
Pizza peel or a sheet of parchment paper plus a rimless baking sheet
Large skillet (12-inch / 30 cm)
Digital scale (recommended)
Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
Pizza cutter or sharp knife

Steps

Before you start

Read the timing: the dough needs about 15 minutes to rest and 1 hour to rise, so start at least 2½ hours before dinner.
Place a pizza stone, baking steel or an upside-down heavy rimmed baking sheet on the middle oven rack before you preheat.
Use lukewarm water around 105–110°F (40–43°C). Hotter water can kill the yeast.
Pit and halve the olives, thinly slice the onion and crumble the feta while the dough rises.

1
Mix the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk the whole wheat flour, bread flour, instant yeast and fine salt.
- Add the honey, lukewarm water and 2 Tbsp (30 ml) dough olive oil.
- Stir with a wooden spoon or your hand for about 2 minutes until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy, sticky dough.
- Cover and let it rest.
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Ready when: No dry flour is visible and the dough looks shaggy and sticky
Tip: Don't add extra flour now. Whole wheat dough firms up considerably as it rests.
2
Knead until elastic
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8 minutes, dusting with just a teaspoon or two of bread flour if it sticks badly.
- Fold the far edge toward you, push down with the heel of your hand, give it a quarter turn and repeat.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth, springy and slightly tacky; a poked finger leaves a dent that slowly springs back
Tip: A slightly tacky dough makes a lighter crust. Resist adding a lot of flour.
3
Let the dough rise
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl (a drop of oil is enough).
- Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot (75–80°F / 24–27°C) for about 1 hour.
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Ready when: Dough has nearly doubled in size and looks puffy and airy
Tip: Whole wheat dough rises a little slower than white dough. If your kitchen is cool, give it up to 15 extra minutes.
4
Preheat the ovenOven 500°F / 260°C
- About 15 minutes into the rise, place your pizza stone, steel or upside-down baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) for at least 45 minutes.
- Use this time to prep the toppings in the next step.
- If your oven goes higher than 500°F, use it up to 525°F (275°C).
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Ready when: Oven has been at temperature for a full 45 minutes so the stone is fully heated
Tip: A stone needs far longer to heat than the air in the oven. Don't bake early.
5
Cook the spinach
- Heat 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced garlic and stir for 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the spinach in handfuls, tossing with tongs, for about 3 minutes until fully wilted.
- Transfer to a colander, stir in the lemon juice and cool 5 minutes.
- Then squeeze the spinach hard in a clean kitchen towel or with your hands over the sink until no liquid drips out.
- Roughly chop and season with black pepper.
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Ready when: Spinach is dark green and fully wilted, and the squeezed ball is compact and nearly dry
Tip: Wet spinach is the main cause of a soggy center. Squeeze it more than seems necessary.
6
Divide and shape
- Divide the risen dough into 2 equal pieces (about 400 g each).
- Shape each into a tight ball and rest 5 minutes under a towel while you ready the toppings.
- Lightly flour the counter and press one ball into a 12-inch (30 cm) round with your fingertips, leaving the outer ½ inch (1 cm) edge slightly thicker.
- Stretch gently over your knuckles if it springs back.
- Dust a peel (or parchment on a rimless baking sheet) with cornmeal and place the round on it.
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Ready when: Dough is an even round about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick in the center with a puffy rim
Tip: Avoid a rolling pin; it pushes out the air bubbles that give the crust its chew.
7
Top the first pizza
- Brush the dough with about 2 tsp of the brush oil, leaving the rim for later.
- Scatter half of the mozzarella over the dough to within ¾ inch (2 cm) of the edge.
- Top with half of the spinach in small clumps, then half of the red onion, olives and feta.
- Sprinkle with ½ tsp oregano, a pinch of pepper flakes if using, and black pepper.
- Brush the rim with another 1 tsp of oil.
- Give the peel a shake to make sure the pizza slides freely.
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Ready when: Pizza moves freely when the peel is shaken
Tip: Top quickly. Dough left sitting under wet toppings sticks to the peel.
8
Bake the first pizzaOven 500°F / 260°C
- Slide the pizza onto the hot stone (or slide it, parchment and all, onto it).
- Bake at 500°F (260°C) for 8–10 minutes, rotating once halfway through.
- Remove with the peel to a cutting board.
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Ready when: Crust is deep golden brown with dark blistered spots, and the cheese is bubbling with browned flecks
Tip: Keep the oven door closed as much as possible to hold the heat. Close it quickly after loading.
9
Shape and bake the secondOven 500°F / 260°C
- While the first pizza rests, repeat the shaping and topping with the second dough ball and the remaining toppings and oil.
- Let the oven return to 500°F (260°C) for 2–3 minutes before baking.
- Bake 8–10 minutes as before.
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Ready when: Crust is deep golden with blistered spots and the cheese is bubbling
Tip: If the first pizza finished with pale edges, add a minute here; ovens vary.
10
Rest, slice and serve
- Let each pizza rest on the board for 2 minutes so the cheese sets.
- Cut each into 4 slices with a pizza cutter or sharp knife and serve hot, with extra pepper flakes or a drizzle of olive oil if you like.
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Ready when: Cheese no longer runs when you cut, and the bottom of the crust feels firm and crisp
Tip: Slide a slice onto a rack for storage rather than stacking so the bottom doesn't steam.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh the flour if you can; whole wheat packs differently from cup to cup, and too much flour makes a dry, heavy crust.
Squeeze the spinach until it's nearly dry and keep the toppings at the right amount so the center bakes crisp.
Feta is salty, so you don't need to salt the dough toppings, and different brands vary, so taste your feta first.
For a crisper bottom, bake on the lowest rack for the last 2 minutes.

Make ahead

Make the dough through step 2, then refrigerate in an oiled, covered bowl for up to 48 hours (it will rise slowly and develop more flavor); bring it to room temperature for 45 minutes before shaping. The cooked, squeezed spinach can be refrigerated up to 2 days.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: wrap slices tightly and keep up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze slices on a tray, then bag for up to 2 months. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat, covered, for 3–4 minutes, or on a baking sheet in a 425°F (220°C) oven for 8–10 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is hot.

Substitutions

baby spinach → 10 oz (285 g) frozen chopped spinach. Thaw completely, skip the wilting and squeeze very dry, then sauté briefly with the garlic for 1 minute.
bread flour → all-purpose flour. The crust will be slightly less chewy but still good.
low-moisture mozzarella → extra feta plus a little shredded provolone. Use the same total weight; feta will make the pizza saltier, so skip added salt.
Kalamata olives → sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped. Use about ⅓ cup (50 g) for a sweeter taste.