Recipes

Mix yeast & sugar in a small bowl. Add the 1/2 cup of water and let sit for approximately 10 minutes until foam appears.

In a large bowl mix together flour and salt until combined. Pour in yeast mixture and stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups of water. Knead dough until smooth.

Place in a covered oiled bowl and let rise at room temperature for an hour and a half. Punch down and roll into another ball. Place again in covered bowl and let rise for another hour and a half at room temperature -or- place in refrigerator overnight.

Divide dough into 6 equal pieces.

For storage:

Wrap dough balls first in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze. To thaw: four hours at room temperature or 8-12 hours in the refrigerator.

For pizza crust:

Place pizza stone in a oven as hot as it will go. Keep stone in hot oven for at least one hour.

Place dough on lightly floured surface. Carefully reshape dough into a mound. Pinch around dough to make a crust edge. Push down the center. Begin gently stretching dough, by hand until a window-effect is seen. (Dough will show light through it, but not so thin that you can see through it!)

On a pizza peal or an upside down sheet pan - sprinkled with cornmeal - place pizza dough. Add toppings (see additional recipes) and when it comes to toppings, remember less is more! Slide pizza onto pizza stone.

Bake approximately 5-7 minutes, depending on how hot the oven is. Crust should be golden brown and cheese bubbling. Remember time will lengthen if baking pizzas one after the other.

Yield: Enough dough for 6 individual pizzas