Whole-wheat flour | goodmotherdiet

I can’t say enough about these roasted tomatoes – drizzled with balsamic and honey and slow roasted until they reach caramelized perfection. Their cooking juice alone is worth the price of admission, delicious as a dipping sauce for a crusty baguette. But that’s not all! I layered the lovely roasted tomatoes over a bed of fresh mozzarella and then folded it all in a buttery crust to form a rustic tart. You would never know that the crust is actually good for you because it’s so yummmy, but it’s made with 100% White Whole Wheat Flour. No that wasn’t a typo. I used a whole grain flour made from white whole wheat, which is a different kind of wheat whose germ has a lighter color and milder in flavor than the more traditional ‘red’ wheat. It has the same nutritional value as whole wheat but is not as heavy, making it a better choice for baking. I believe in making food healthy but not at the expense of taste. Win, Win!

These roasted tomatoes are really sweet and flavorful, great layered in sandwiches or mixed in with other vegetables. I know I will be making these over and over again! I know I already said this, but it bears repeating. The sauce is ‘to die for’ so carefully pour every last drop into a small bowl and use it as a dipping sauce.

Tomatoes are America’s favorite vegetable (even though it’s technically a fruit) and they are so wonderful when they are in season like right now, fresh from the vine. You can just taste the goodness! If you are worried that cooking tomatoes, destroys the nutrients, don’t. Tomatoes are one of the veggies that actually benefits from being cooked. Most people know that tomatoes are loaded with vitamins and nutrients, like lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect our immune systems. The best way to get lycopene, which is in the skin and gives tomatoes their red color, is through cooked or processed tomatoes. Cooking them with a little healthy oil helps carry the lycopene into the bloodstream. ( Best Health Magazine) So roast away! You won’t regret it…

TIPS: This recipe would be easy to make vegan. Just omit the cheeses which are not necessary anyway, as the star of this dish is really the roasted tomatoes. To veganize the crust, substitute a vegan butter or oil and brush the crust with non-dairy milk before cooking. Then I would suggest sprinkling the tomatoes and especially the crust with a coarse salt and more herbs before baking.

I spotted this recipe in the Farm Fresh – Summer, 2015 magazine, although I added a layer of fresh mozzarella beneath the tomatoes and used white whole wheat flour for the crust for a more nutritious tart.

RUSTIC ROASTED TOMATO TART

7-8 ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsn balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
3 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)-divided
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced (optional)
1/4 cup parmesan, shredded(optional)

CRUST (or your favorite pre-made crust)

1 cup white whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)plus more for dusting the surface
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter
2 Tbsn + 1 tsp ice water
1 egg (for glazing the crust)

If you are making dough for a crust, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly to combine. Cut butter into slices and add to the flour mixture. Pulse about 20 times or until the butter particles are small. With the motor running, add the ice water and process until the dough is beginning to come together. It will be loose but will come together if you pinch it. Turn the loose dough out onto a mixing bowl and knead it briefly Shape it into a flat disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days. (Or to save time later, you can roll it into a 12 inch round, then wrap it in plastic and store in the refrigerator)

Pre-heat the oven to 425. Line a heavy duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush with with olive oil. Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey in a small bowl.

Cut tomatoes in half horizontally and carefully remove seeds.

Place tomatoes cut side up on the baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with salt.

Pour the balsamic mixture into each tomato half, distributing as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with 2 tsp thyme.

Roast the tomatoes until they are brown on the edges and collapsed, about an hour. Let them cool. Save any pan juices to serve with crusty sourdough bread!

While the tomatoes are cooling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Heat oven to 400. Line a heavy duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12 inch round, then transfer to parchment paper. Don’t worry if the edges aren’t perfect. I think it makes a more interesting tart.

Arrange mozzarella slices in the center of the round, leaving a 2 inch border of dough.

Arrange the roasted tomato halves over the mozzarella, starting in the center and slightly overlapping, still leaving a 2 inch border.

Fold the edge of the dough up and over the tomatoes, pleating as you go.

Brush the dough (including under the folds) with beaten egg. Sprinkle the tart with parmesan and remaining thyme. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Let cool slightly and transfer to a cutting board or serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CRUST (or your favorite pre-made crust)

If you are making dough for a crust, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly to combine. Cut butter into slices and add to the flour mixture. Pulse about 20 times or until the butter particles are small. With the motor running, add the ice water and process until the dough is beginning to come together. It will be loose but will come together if you pinch it. Turn the loose dough out onto a mixing bowl and knead it briefly Shape it into a flat disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.
Pre-heat the oven to 425. Line a heavy duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush with with olive oil. Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey in a small bowl.
Cut tomatoes in half horizontally and carefully remove seeds.
Place tomatoes cut side up on the baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with salt.
Pour the balsamic mixture into each tomato half, distributing as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with 2 tsp thyme. Roast the tomatoes until they are brown on the edges and collapsed, about an hour. Let them cool. Save any pan juices to serve with crusty sourdough bread!
While the tomatoes are cooling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Heat oven to 400. Line a heavy duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12 inch round, then transfer to parchment paper. Don’t worry if the edges aren’t perfect. I think it makes a more interesting tart.
Arrange mozzarella slices in the center of the round, leaving a 2 inch border of dough.
Arrange the roasted tomato halves over the mozzarella, starting in the center and slightly overlapping, still leaving a 2 inch border.
Fold the edge of the dough up and over the tomatoes, pleating as you go.
Brush the dough (including under the folds) with beaten egg. Sprinkle the tart with parmesan and remaining thyme. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Let cool slightly and transfer to a cutting board or serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

WHAT? PIZZA CRUST MADE WITH WHITE WHOLE WHEAT? ISN’T THAT A MISNOMER? I AM ON THE HUNT FOR THE PERFECT HEALTHY PIZZA…

What is white whole wheat? I have only recently heard about white whole wheat flour, which is reported to retain the nutrients as a whole grain flour but be lighter in look and flavor. Standard whole wheat flour is made using red wheat which is darker in color and makes a heavy whole grain flour or requires lots of processing to make into white flour By contrast, white whole wheat flour is made with albino wheat which is an entirely different variety. This type of wheat grain has a lighter hue and requires much less processing to produce a flour that is more similar to bleached white flour.

I was not able to find white whole wheat flour locally, so ordered it online from www.kingarthurflour.com. Since ordering though, I have noticed that Trader Joe’s carries the King Arthur brand. As a pizza lover who is trying to avoid ‘empty’ carbs (those made with white flour), I decided to make a couple of pizzas and see how it goes. I used the King Arthur recipe, which is dairy free and 100% whole grain. Most whole grain recipes call for less than a third whole grain and are mostly white flour. I thought the pizza turned out pretty well but after reading comments about homemade pizza have decided to invest in a pizza stone (for next time) which gives a crispier crust. It is not quite as light and crusty as white flour pizza crust but it is less dense and doesn’t have the slightly bitter taste that whole wheat sometimes gives baked goods. I will definitely make it again and roll it even thinner next time – but I have a few more whole grain recipes so will keep testing…

This recipe makes one large or two small pizzas. I cut my dough in half and topped one with olive oil, garlic fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes and fresh basil. I topped the finished pizza with more basil and fresh greens. The second pizza I topped with pesto, sliced cooked chicken, shredded mozzarella, red peppers and scallions. I followed the recipe and found it nice to make the dough the night before and just roll it out and les it rise before game time. Makes a great halftime appetizer. Just glad my team won!

White Whole Wheat Pizza

Ingredients

3 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour or King Arthur 100% Organic White Whole Wheat Flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lukewarm orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup lukewarm water

Tips from King Arthur bakers

What’s with the orange juice in this recipe? No, it doesn’t make your pizza taste like oranges; but it does mitigate the somewhat tannic flavor whole wheat can sometimes have. Substitute water if desired.
Can you use traditional red wheat flour in this recipe? Absolutely; your crust will be darker, and more assertively flavored due to red wheat’s stronger taste.
Researchers managed to increase antioxidants to their highest level by baking pizza crust at 500°F. However, since some readers have ovens that won’t heat that hot; and since baking at 500°F can be a little tricky (the time difference between perfect and burned becomes very short), we’ve chosen a slightly more moderate baking temperature: 450°F

1) Combine all of the ingredients, and allow to rest for 30 minutes; this gives the whole wheat flour a chance to absorb the liquid.

2) Mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth, soft dough.

3) Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover it, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate overnight, or for about 18 hours; a bit longer is fine. Handy schedule: Make pizza dough at 8 p.m., and refrigerate until 4 p.m. the next day. Shape, let rise for 2 hours, and bake at 6 p.m.

4) Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Pat it into a lightly greased half-sheet pan (18″ x 13″) that’s been drizzled with olive oil. This will make a thick-crust, Sicilian-style pizza, one that’s thick enough to undergo the long bake at a high temperature necessary to optimize its antioxidants.

5) Brush the dough with sauce, if desired; and top with your favorite cooked toppings: cooked vegetables, and/or cooked or smoked meats. Don’t add the cheese yet. Cover the pizza, and let it rise for about 2 hours, or until it’s very puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 450°F.

6) Bake the pizza on the bottom shelf of the oven for 8 minutes, then remove it from the oven and top with cheese, if desired.

7) Replace the pizza on a shelf in the upper third of the oven. Bake for an additional 6 to 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust browned.

8) Remove the pizza from the oven, let rest for about 5 minutes (for the cheese to settle), and serve right away. If not serving right away, transfer the pizza to racks to cool, so the bottoms stay crisp.

Yield: about 16 slices.