Low Sodium Pizza Crust

Who doesn’t love pizza!? I do! Make it with this tasty low sodium pizza crust and I am IN!

Healthy Pizza!?

Pizza can absolutely be a part of a healthy kidney diet.  You just need to be picky with your pizza.  Pizza from a restaurant likely will have too much salt added to the pizza itself along with excess amounts of salty ingredients like sauce and cheese. Add on that pepperoni and you will easily be approaching your daily sodium limit.

Serving Suggestion

Use this recipe for a low sodium pizza crust and top with a low sodium sauce (or try using just olive oil and garlic!) and vegetables.  My favorite vegetable pizza toppings are bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, zucchini and arugula.

Happy Eating!

Low Sodium Pizza Crust

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: pizza crust, whole wheat
Servings: 6 slices
Calories: 119kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 Tbs dry active yeast
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup water warm
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 cup white flour
  • 2 tbsp cornmeal

Instructions

  • Mix whole wheat flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add water and oil.
  • Mix adding white flour until dough forms a soft ball.
  • Knead until smooth and elastic. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover bowl with a damp cloth. Let dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
  • Press dough into desired shape. I find shaping the dough into a rectangle is easiest!
  • Sprinkle cornmeal over pizza stone. Put tough over cornmeal and top with desired sauce and toppings.
  • Bake on baking sheet or pizza stone at 500 degrees F until crust is medium brown, about 10 minutes. Cooking time is highly variable depending on how many toppings you add!

Notes

Nutrition Information (per 1/6 pizza): 119 calories, 5g fat, 0.7g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 16g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 0.2g sugar, 0g added sugar, 3g protein, 100mg sodium, 6mg calcium, 66mg potassium, 60mg phosphorus, 4mg oxalate (2mg if use additional 1/2 cup white flour in place of 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)

26 thoughts on “Low Sodium Pizza Crust”

    1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, FAND

      A little salt does help the yeast work and the final texture. The total sodium content of this recipe is VERY low. The goal is NEVER a “no salt” diet – as our bodies do need some salt to function! I’d ask your dietitian how much sodium is right for you!

  1. If you have access to a Target store, they carry a premade low sodium pizza crust that is also low fat. It is not big, more of an individual size, but tasty, and a great convenience.

  2. Could this recipe be made by totally omitting the sugar and salt? Or, if the sugar is necessary, could a different type of sugar be used that is more natural/less processed, such as honey or pure maple syrup?

    Thank you!

    1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, CSG

      Hi Lisa! I’ve never made it would the sugar or salt, so can’t say how good the final product would be. Some sugar does help the yeast work though! You could use honey or syrup. However, know that the nutritional value of these sugars is EXACTLY the same as white or brown sugar.

    1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, CSG

      It really depends on how thin you roll out that dough! I usually get 1, 12-inch(ish!) pizza from this recipe.

    1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, CSG

      I’ve always made this recipe by hand or using a dough hook on a stand mixer. I’d guess that it would work in a food processor, but I can’t promise that as I haven’t tested that method.

    2. Sounds terrific! Since whole wheat flour has a short shelf life and needs to be refrigerated and I would rarely use it other than for this recipe, can I just substitute all purpose flour for the whole wheat flour? I am also thinking of making this a baking it without any toppings and using it as pita bread.

      1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, CSG

        You certainly could use all purpose flour! This would lower the protein and fiber content a bit, but it should 100% work!

    1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, CSG

      Hi Paul! There has been a huge shift in how we think about whole wheat and kidney health in recent years. This article goes into much more detail!

      1. Is this link a mistake? This article is about phosphorous, I don’t see anything about whole wheat or bread.

        1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, CSG

          Hi Rusty. I’m not sure which link brought you to this recipe, however my guess I was referring to the fact that this recipe calls for whole wheat flour.

    2. Hello Paul, Ive got CKD, recently I was told my Potassium is High, If you want to be serious about eating correctly to protect the kidneys you should look at the nutrition label. Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorous and Protein all play a part in normal kidney function. Research suggests you keep the Sodium and Potassium under 2000mg/day is a good thing. Also dont hammer the kidneys in one shot of 1950mg. If you shop around you can find flour that is very low sodium and potassium but you will always see “whole wheat” has higher potassium. Here is a great comment Ive seen lately, “white bread is usually recommended over whole wheat varieties for individuals with kidney disease, This is because of its phosphorus and potassium content.” kind of against the “thought” of white bread isn’t good for you but the nutrition values don’t lie. Ive found it to be trial and error in swapping x for y when cooking. Comes down to personel taste. Best of luck.

      1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, CSG

        Hi Joe! Updated guidelines for CKD nutrition came out in 2020 that do promote whole grains for kidney patients, despite that higher amount of potassium and phosphorus. The phosphorus in whole grains isn’t well absorbed, and all of the fiber in whole grains can help increase potassium fecal excretion. Everyone is different, but it is generally outdated advice to recommend white bread/rice/etc for CKD.

    1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, CSG

      Yay! Thank you for letting me know Susan! I’m so glad it’s become one of your favorites!

  3. Catherine Katz

    Thank you for your fab recipes. I am highly allergic to all citrus fruits – what can I use to substitute lemon or lime juice with? Thank you.

    1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, CSG

      Thank you! Depending on the recipe and use, I might try red wine vinegar to add that same acidic flavor!

  4. I have tried using a pizza stone several times with disastrous results. The topped pizza is near impossible to transfer to the hot pizza stone in tact. The dough becomes misshaped and/or toppings slide off or towards one side of the pizza. In addition, the pizza dough has stuck to the pizza stone. What am I doing wrong? Help.

    Suggestions/recommendations/tips????

    1. Melanie Betz MS, RD, CSR, CSG

      Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that! Thank you for letting me know. I find that it is easier to move the dough to the pizza stone (and get it off!) if I spread a little cornmeal over the stone. I’d definitely try that (and, I added that to the recipe so other people don’t have the same issue). Are the toppings sliding to one side because the dough is baking unevenly and creating a slide effect?

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