Instructions: Basic Pizza Crust

Dissolve sugar and yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 2 3/4 cups flour, salt, and oil to form a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning dough to coat top.

Cover dough and let rise in a warm place (85 deg.F.), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down, and divide in half. Roll each half of dough into a 12 inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on 12-inch pizza pans or baking sheets coated with cooking spray and each sprinkled with 1/2 Tablespoon cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 deg.F.), free from drafts, 30 minutes. Top and bake according to recipe directions.

Yield: 2 (12-inch) pizza crusts

Note: Store half of dough in freezer up to 1 month, if desired. Let dough rise; punch down, and divide in half. Dust half with flour, wrap in plastic wrap, and store in a zip-top heavy-duty plastic bag in freezer. To thaw, place dough in refrigerator 12 hours or overnight; bring to room temperature, and shape as desired.

Take care, Kyosho

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.