Instructions: Crumble the cake yeast into the 1 1/2 cups of warm water, stir and set aside.

Stir the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add the olive oil and the water/yeast mixture to the flour, mix by hand until you have a dough ball. Knead the dough on a flat, floured surface for 5-10 minutes. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly, and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until dough has doubled in size.

Split dough into halves (for 2 large crusts) or fourths (for 4 individual sized crusts) and roll each section into a ball, flatten by hand (do not use a rolling pin) and drape with a cloth while on your pizza pan. Let rise for another 15 to 30 minutes. By hand, pull the dough into its final shape (large and round). Do not use a rolling pin, which squeezes the carbon dioxide out of the dough and results in a very boring crust. Put the dough back onto the pizza pan, and cover with a cloth while you prepare the toppings. After the second rising, about 15 minutes, top with your favorite toppings, and cook in a preheated 450 degree oven on baking tiles or a pizza stone for about 10 minutes, or until toppings are done.

Makes 2 large crusts.

[] For one 12 inch pizza I used 1/4 lb grated Mozzarella, 1/4 lb grated medium cheddar, 16 slices dry salami, 1/2 thinly sliced Vidalia onion, 1/2 thinly sliced green bell pepper, and 1/2 small can chopped olives. Baking at 450 deg., it
took about 25 minutes to cook. It was much better, and much more satisfying, than any pizza we have ever bought. - Spike the Grate []

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.