dough

A few years ago I went on a road trip with my grandma to visit her siblings in Michigan. One night we stayed with her brother in Midland, MI and were there for their traditional Friday night meal: pizza. When my great-aunt and uncle started dating, she would make pizza for him, a tradition they kept once they were married. She told him her conditions though: I'll make it for the first 50 years, after that it's on you! So, after their fiftieth wedding anniversary, he took over the pizza-making for the family. One of their daughters told me that when you have pizza every week of your life, eventually, you start getting really creative with your toppings. They have made every type of pizza imaginable! The key, is having a good crust.

This brings me to my post's purpose today: crust. Ever since that trip, I have been trying to find a good pizza recipe (I regret not asking for theirs) and have tried many, many in the past few years. At WinCo I discovered that by their pepperoni they sell bags of pizza dough for $1.49 a bag-- and loved it, but wanted to have a recipe to make at home (it's cheaper that way!) Finally, after searching and trying, I have found one that I absolutely LOVE from AllRecipes.com (if you've never been on this site, you should try it!)! I've made it three times now and every time it turns out perfectly.

Jay's Signature Pizza Crust

Rated: Submitted By: JASON SHARP Photo By: o.d Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 50 Minutes Servings: 15

"This simple pizza crust is chewy and soft, with a crispy exterior."

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F /45 degrees C)

1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
2.	Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.
3.	Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.
4.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.
5.	Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

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Printed from Allrecipes.com 3/2/2012

I have found that if I let it rise for about 40-45 min, then put it on my pan for another 15 before adding toppings, it cooks better. Also, this make a lot of dough! If I'm using a large pan, it makes a decently deep base with good crust. If I'm using a medium sized pan, I pull off about 1/4 - 1/3 before putting it in the pan. I use the extra for bread sticks!