Does anyone have a really good pizza crust recipe that they can share? I want to try making my own pizza but I haven't ever done that before. I know you can buy jarred sauce to put on the crust so that can make things a little easier, I'm sure. Personal recipes that you know work well only please...
Bread flour is best for pizza crusts because of the high gluten content. Mix the sugar, water and yeast together in a bowl until they're dissolved, then set aside. The yeast will start eating the sugar and reproducing, and in about 15 minutes you'll see it start to foam. Measure out the flour and sift it. If you don't have a sifter, put it in a small strainer and shake it. This filters out any clumps that may have formed and aerates the flour, which makes for a lighter crust. Put the flour in a large bowl, then add the salt, oil, and water. Mix it just until it comes together (it'll look pretty shaggy), cover it with a towel and set it aside for about 30 minutes. This is called autolyse, and it allows the flour to absorb the water and form longer strands of gluten. It also cuts down on the kneading time. On a clean surface, sprinkle a good bit of flour and then turn out the dough. Knead it until it's smooth and springy, about 7 minutes. Clean the mixing bowl, spread a little oil around in it, then put the dough in. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. (45-60 minutes) Punch it down to release the gases, et voila, pizza dough!
The stuff freezes well: just wrap the dough in plastic. Leave it on the counter the night before you plan to use it; it will thaw out and start to rise during the day.
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