Pizza Crust

Good pizza crust takes time, but it's worth it. My favorite recipe comes from Deborah Madison's, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Homemade pizza crust might sound intimidating, but it's actually quite simple.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 1/2 c warm water
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt **
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 3 c all purpose white flour
• 1/4 c (or so) of cornmeal to dust your pan (can also use flour)

**If I add salt it's only a pinch -- otherwise, I completely omit salt or add other seasonings like rosemary and garlic powder or some Mrs. Dash table seasoning.

First things first, prime your yeast. In a large bowl, combine a 1/2 c warm water with the yeast. Let sit until frothy (about 10 minutes).

Add the remaining water, oil and salt/seasoning. Incorporate the wheat flour followed by enough white flour to form a shaggy dough.  Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and begin kneading until smooth, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. If you want a crisper crust, allow the dough to stay a little tacky.

Oil a clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat. Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside until the dough has doubled in size (40-60 minutes). When the dough has risen, you can divide it into two pieces for two 12 inch pizzas or four pieces for 10 inch pizzas. After you've divided the dough, shape each piece into a ball and allow to rest for an additional 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

When the dough is ready, you can either shape it with your hands or a rolling pin. I'm not very sufficient with my hands so I use a rolling pin. I cook my pizza on a round metal pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray then dusted with cornmeal. Transfer the rolled out dough to your pan and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Add desired toppings. Bake for about 10 minutes or until crust looks lightly browned.

Enjoy!