Homemade Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 1 tsp yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 3/4 cups warm water
• 2 – 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the yeast, sugar and warm water together until the yeast and sugar are dissolved. Set it aside for 3-5 minutes so the yeast can bloom. When the surface looks foamy, it is ready.
2. While the yeast is getting going, put 2 cups of the flour in a large bowl with the salt and stir so the salt is worked through evenly. Add the olive oil; it will be incorporated as you knead. The remaining half cup of flour is there in case the dough needs a little help later, though you may not need all of it.
3. When the yeast mixture has foam on top, pour it into the flour mixture. Stir with a spoon until the dough comes together in a shaggy ball, then transfer it to the counter and knead for 10 minutes. Use only small pinches of flour on the counter as needed while you work; adding too much will make the dough heavy and dense instead of light.
4. From here, you have three choices: use the dough tonight, about one hour after kneading; use it tomorrow after an overnight rise in the refrigerator; or freeze it and use it within a month.
5. To bake with the dough the same day, shape the kneaded dough into one ball, or divide it into four smaller balls for individual pizzas. Coat a bowl with non stick spray, add the dough and turn it so the surface is lightly oiled. Cover the bowl loosely and leave it in a warm spot for one hour. Once it has risen, press it down to release some of the gas, then stretch it into a 16" round.
6. For a slower rise and more developed flavor, shape the dough into a ball and oil it the same way, then put it in the refrigerator instead of leaving it out. The dough can be used 8-24 hours later.
7. To freeze the dough, shape it into one ball, or several smaller balls, coat with oil, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. When you are ready to use it, set it on the counter for one hour before shaping. The dough should come to room temperature before you stretch it.
8. After the dough is stretched, set it on a perforated pizza pan that has been coated with non-stick spray and lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Bake in a fully preheated oven at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are browned and crisp. A properly heated oven helps the bottom cook through and turn crisp.