Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pizza Crust Class

I enjoyed this recipe almost as much as the kids did! As a chef who has made her share of pizza crust in a variety of ways, this was the first one I've made without olive oil, and without mostly white flour. It was indeed the healthiest of crusts, one I will continue to make for years to come. The oatmeal added texture, and with the slightest amount of honey, a caramel sweetness imbued it. Yum.

I will admit that as the kids were activating the yeast, and adding wheat flour, many turned up their noses. I heard a few, 'this is gross', and one girl said, this smells like burned milk. Suffice to say, I felt a bit nervous that they may not enjoy the wheat and oatmeal crust, that was explicitly more healthy than a heavy white flour/oil based crust.

Luckily, after we rolled our dough, and spread tomato sauce, with their choice of toppings: pepperoni, green peppers, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan, sauteed cremini mushrooms, caramelized onions - all was well. As the mini-pizza's cooked, we could smell hints of honey and baked bread in the air. They kept trying to open the ovens to peek, the anticipation was great.

All and all, the evening was a huge success, mostly because my kids got to taste a healthier alternative, and actually preferred the taste! They sat down and copied the recipe before they left, so they could try it at home.

Here's the recipe. It's awesome!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Crust This recipe, based on "Anytime Pizza" from Susan Roberts and Dr. Melvin Heyman's "Feeding Your Child For Lifelong Health" is a good introduction to whole grains. Little hands can help shape toppings into smiley faces.

INGREDIENTS: Oatmeal crust 2 teaspoons yeast 2 cups white flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1 1/3 cups instant or quick-cooking oats 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups water Pizza Olive or corn oil cooking spray 1/2 cup tomato sauce (fresh or canned), or more as needed 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated Toppings Yellow onion, finely chopped Mushrooms or zucchini, thinly sliced Green bell pepper, thinly sliced Pineapple, finely diced

INSTRUCTIONS: To make the crust: Mix all the ingredients in a food processor and blend for 2 minutes or knead by hand for 5 minutes. The dough will be soft, even slightly sticky. Lightly coat the inside of a large bowl with cooking spray. Remove the dough from the processor, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1/2-1 hour to make the dough pliable. Preheat oven to 450°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or coat sheets well with cooking spray. Cut dough equally in half. Cut each half into 8 pieces.Roll each into a ball and stretch out to make a disk about 3-4 inches in diameter. Place 8 disks on each baking sheet. Spray dough lightly with oi land cover for 1/2 hour if you have the time (this last step is not essential). Divide the tomato sauce evenly among the 16 pizzas. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and then with cheddar cheese. Make smiley faces with the toppings.Bake for 12-15 minutes until cheese is bubbling and starting to brown. Makes 16 miniature pizzas

PER PIZZA WITHOUT TOPPINGS: 155 calories, 7 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate,5 g fat (3 g saturated), 12 mg cholesterol, 276 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.