World's Best Pizza

Pizza night at our place is a big hit!

I start by making an EASY pizza crust my Dad taught me to make. Once the dough is ready, everyone gets to roll out their own pizza dough and add only the stuff they want on our own personal pies.


What You'll Need:
3 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 packages dry active yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water from the tap
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
Flour, for the work surface
Cornmeal, to dust

Let's Get Cookin':
In a mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook, place flour, yeast, salt and sugar. While mixer is running, gradually add water and knead on low speed until dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes. Turn machine off. Pour oil down inside of bowl. Turn on low once more for 15 seconds to coat inside of bowl and all surfaces of dough with the oil.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

If using a pizza stone, place stone in oven on bottom rack, preheat oven 1 hour ahead.

Punch dough down, divide into pieces for everyone. Place on generously floured work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into circle until very thin. Don't worry if your circle isn't perfect and if you get a hole just pinch the edges back together. To prevent dough from sticking to counter, turn over the dough and sprinkle with flour.

Sprinkle pizza peel or cookie sheet generously with cornmeal. Transfer dough to pizza peel or cookie sheet with no lip. Add toppings. Slide dough onto pizza stone or place cookie sheet with pizza on bottom rack.

Bake 10 to12 minutes or until golden. (Any extra dough can be rolled out and frozen.)