If you don’t know how to make pizza dough, you’re missing out one of the more satisfying aspects of making pizza at home. While pre-made dough gets the job done, you can’t always be sure how fresh it is or whether it was frozen before it arrived at the store.  Spend the afternoon making pizza dough to use or freeze ahead or follow a recipe for quick pizza dough that tastes great and still gets dinner on the table in a hurry.

Basic Pizza Dough
(makes two 12-inch pizzas)

1 1/3 cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsps.)

Pour the water into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a heavy duty mixer with a dough hook. Sprinkle in the yeast. The yeast should stand for a couple of minutes while you mix the other ingredients:

3 ½ cups of flour
2 tablespoons. olive or pecan oil
1 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoons sugar

Combine this flour mixture with the water and yeast. Mix at low speed for 1 minute and then knead by machine for 4 minutes. Or turn dough out after mixing and knead by hand for 10 minutes until the dough feels elastic.

Rinse a large crockery bowl with hot water and dry it. Oil the inside of the bowl lightly. Set the dough inside the bowl. Turn it to coat it well with oil. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it rise in a warm place until the dough doubles (1 hour).

Preheat the oven to 475º F. Grease two cookie sheets, pizza pans or baking stones with oil and then sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of cornmeal on each sheet.

Punch down the dough and knead it a few times. Divide it into two balls. Let these balls of dough rest for about 15 minutes. Roll the dough out and spread the dough into two12-inch circles. Roll and stretch the dough with your hands until it is large enough.

If you are brave, you can toss the dough up and catch it over your hand. Turn and toss, letting the dough fall back on your hand and stretch. This is to help stretch and spread out the dough to the thickness you desire.

Place dough on pans greased with oil and sprinkled with cornmeal to prevent sticking, Crimp the edges up to form the rim. Then brush the top of the dough with a little olive oil to keep the crust from becoming soggy. Use your fingers to poke dents in the dough and allow the dough to rest for another 10 minutes while you prepare sauce and the toppings. This will discourage the dough from forming bubbles.

Spread the sauce over the dough and add pepperoni, Canadian sausage or hamburger cooked and drained, peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives and cheese. Bake at 475º F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Freeze-Ahead Pizza Dough
Pizza dough freezes well. If you want a quick frozen dinner to pop in the oven some night when you are pressed for time, homemade frozen pizza is the perfect solution. Prepare the dough just as you would if you were making fresh pizzas. The crusts can be frozen with or without their toppings. Pizzas may be frozen on a baking sheet in the freezer. When frozen, remove from the baking sheet and wrap in aluminum foil before returning to the freezer. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425º F and place frozen pizza into the hot oven (without thawing). Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Salt Questions
Can you make yeast crust without salt? Salt slightly inhibits the growth of yeast and is needed to check rapid rising and splitting. Besides, salt greatly enhances the flavor of the pizza crust.

The main ingredients of yeast bread products are flour, oil, salt, sugar, yeast and liquid. Each of these plays a role in the bread-making process. Sugar helps the yeast grow. Any type of sugar will do—granulated white sugar, brown sugar, honey, fruit juice, molasses or even a small amount of applesauce. Oil, (shortening, butter, margarine, canola, pecan oil or grease of some sort) is needed to make the dough tender and to help it keep better. Liquid might be water, potato water or milk. These hold the dough in a manageable state and also create steam in the cooking.

About Kneading the Dough
The purpose of kneading the bread dough is to work the gluten. This is the key to soft bread. Turn the dough out on a floured surface. Push on the mound of dough with the heels of your hands. Next, take hold of the sides of the dough and turn it counterclockwise while you lift up the upper right side and fold it down over the rest. Turn and press, fold and press, turn and press, fold and press. Keep turning and pressing down on the dough until it feels smooth and spongy. This is hard work, but you can rest and then continue the process.

If your hands get sticky, rub a bit of cooking oil on them, Remember, adding more flour as you knead will make your bread dry and crumbly.

You will know the dough is ready when the dough has developed elasticity. Test it by taking a small blob of dough and stretching it. If it breaks apart and leaves a hole, it is not ready.

The benefit of a kneading machine is that it does the mixing and makes the kneading faster and easier.

Quick Pizza Dough Recipe
Even though this dough contains yeast, it does not have to rise more than the few minutes that it takes to add sauce and toppings. Makes 3 medium pizzas

2 pkgs. active dry yeast (4 ½ tsps.)
1 ½ cup lukewarm water (110º)
2 tablespoons. sugar
4 ½ cups sifted all purpose flour
2 tablspoons plus 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup shortening

Dissolve the yeast by sprinkling over the top of the water. Stir until dissolved. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and the cream of tartar in a mixing bowl.

Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Add yeast mixture and stir until the dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly 10 times. Divide the dough into three equal parts. Roll each ball out into rectangles 15 X 12 inches or into a circle about 15 inches around.

Crimp up the edges of each crust to form a ½-inch rim.

Freeze or top with sauce and meat, vegetables, mushrooms, olives and cheese.

Bake at 425º F for 20 minutes or until edges are browned and the cheese in the center is bubbly.

Basic Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

2 ½ cups warm water
4 ½ teaspoons dry yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup pecan oil (or substitute canola or butter)
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose white flour

Mix the water, sugar and yeast. Allow the yeast to work and begin to bubble, Add 4 cups of the flour and the oil and salt. Mix well. Add the rest of the flour gradually, allowing some to add in while kneading if needed. Knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand or 4 minutes with a machine. Place in oiled bowl and cover. Allow to rise until doubled.

Punch down the dough and divide into 2 large or 3 medium pizza crusts. Roll the dough then stretch and work into circles. Spread with fingers and crimp edges up. Top with a sauce and then add the toppings you desire. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake at 400º F until edges of crust are browned and the center of the pizza is bubbly.

Making pizza dough is only half the fun. The whole family will enjoy preparing the pizzas and decorating the homemade crust with veggies, meats and cheese. Wait until they taste it!