pnj,
What has been said about using the rolling pin is correct. Rolling out the dough with a rolling pin will force the trapped gasses in the dough out of the dough and the crust will bake up flat. However, from what you have said, it sound like you used the rolling pin to open up the dough ball part way and then stretched the dough skin out to the final size. This is a method that Tom Lehmann of the American Baking Institute teaches to students who take his course. As an example of his advice on this matter, see
http://www.pmq.com/cgi-bin/tt/index.cgi?noframes;read=30245, and especially the last paragraph of his reply. In your case, if you want to get a higher rise in the crust, you can let the dough rise for about an hour at room temperature, roll and stretch the dough out, and then let the dough rise for about another hour. Then you should be able to dress and bake the pizza. To get adequate height in the dough, you will need to have enough yeast. You didn’t indicate how much yeast you used but if it was only a small amount you can try increasing the yeast the next time.
I’m puzzled why you didn’t get any bottom crust color. Next time, you might try baking the pizza on the lowest oven rack position, with the oven set at its highest temperature setting. The pizza can be raised to a higher level if the bottom browns too quickly. You can also try adding honey, which goes well with whole-wheat flour in a dough, or even table sugar, to get increased color in the crust. Another possibility is to remove the screen from the oven when the pizza has set up sufficiently to permit you to pull the pizza screen out from under the pizza. I try as much as possible not to open the oven door since that allows too much heat to escape from the oven.
Peter
