My Pizza Crust Obsession

I love to eat pizza, but I never had at home pizza to stop me from going to the local pizzeria. I knew there had to be some way to make a crust that would be better than takeout. Home cooked food has heart. So the quest began for the perfect crust. So three years and many variations later, this is the crust that has settled my quest. I use a pizza stone, but you can use a pizza pan. I hope you enjoy.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 1 large medium crust pizza

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup hot water (tap water hot-not boiling)
• 1⁄8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1⁄2 tablespoon dry milk
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2  cups unbleached flour
• 1  cup unbleached flour, for consistency and surface

Directions

1. Combine in large bowl, hot water, oil, sugar, yeast, dry milk, and salt.
2. Whisk together and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup of flour and mix together until evenly combined.
4. Let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Slowly add 1/2 cup of flour. Stir until combined.
6. Add in remaining 1/2 cup of flour to form a dough ball.
7. Dump dough ball out onto floured surface and begin to knead.
8. Take remaining flour and add to dough ball as you are kneading until the dough ball is sticky but will easily release from your hands.
9. Place in a large greased bowl and cover. (I use a cloth towel.)
10. Let sit in warm area until doubled in size. Approximately 45 minutes.
11. (Optional for fluffier crust: Punch down dough ball and let rise until doubled in size again.).
12. Oven and pizza stone need preheated at least 20 minutes at 500 degrees with 1 rack 2nd row from top and 1 on the bottom.
13. Stone needs to start out on the 2nd from top rack.
14. Dump dough out onto floured surface.
15. Start from the center and press and stretch out to the size of your desired pizza. Thickness will approximately double.
16. Transfer dough to either a peel sprinkled with corn meal or a pizza pan.
17. Pinch and roll outside edges to make outside crust.
18. Cover with your favorite sauce and toppings.
19. Shake peel slightly to make sure pizza dough is loose from peel.
20. Slide pizza onto stone on 2nd from top rack or place pizza pan on this rack.
21. Cook for 4 minutes.
22. Take peel and transfer stone to bottom rack or place pizza pan on bottom rack.
23. Cook for 6 more minutes or until cheese is browned to your preference.
24. Take pizza out with peel or on pan.
25. Let stand for 5 minutes. Slice and enjoy.