Classic Pizza Crust Recipe
Making your own pizza is not only easy, but healthy and less expensive than ordering a 'pizza to go' or baking a frozen one. This classic pizza crust recipe makes enough pizza dough to make 4 medium size pizzas. I bake 1 pizza and freeze the remaining 3 to use at a later time. You can top with traditional toppings such as:*Tomato sauce
* Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, shredded
* Feta cheese
* Mushrooms, thinly sliced
* Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, thinly sliced
* Italian sausage, cooked ahead
* Chopped fresh basil
* Pesto
* Pepperoni, thinly sliced
* Onions, thinly sliced
* Sliced ham
1 package active-dry yeast
1-1/2 cups very warm water (110°F)
4 cups all-purpose flour; more for dusting
1-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons organic olive oil
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside. Meanwhile, put the flour and salt in a food processor, fitted with the steel blade; process briefly to mix. With the machine running, add the water-yeast mixture in a steady stream. Turn the processor off and add the oil. Pulse a few times to mix in the oil. NOTE: You can also use a Kitchen Aid mixer fitted with a dough hook or you can mix be hand if needed.
Scrape the soft dough out of the processor and onto a lightly floured surface. With lightly floured hands, quickly knead the dough into a mass, incorporating any bits of flour or dough from the processor bowl that weren't mixed in. Cut the dough into four equal pieces with a knife or a dough scraper. Roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball, kneading to push the air out.
Follow directions for freezing extra dough at this time. Cover the dough which you wish to bake with a clean dishtowel and place in a warm area out of a drafts. Let the dough rise until almost double in size, approximately 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees or George Foreman Grill to high. Once the pizza dough has doubled in size, place on work surface, dusting with fine cornmeal is needed to prevent sticking and shape to the desired shape and thickness. Lightly brush with olive oil and sauce or toppings and bake.
To Freeze Pizza Dough:
To freeze the dough balls, dust each one generously with flour as soon as you've made it. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or in wax paper and then seal each one in a separate zip-top bag. Label the bag with the date, use within a month for best results.
Let dough thaw completely at room temperature before shaping, approximately 2 - 3 hours.
