Delish pizza dough Yield: {3} 15” pizzas

Making your own pizza dough is so much cheaper than buying a pre-made store version and definitely cheaper than ordering pizza for delivery. So, take these basic ingredients that you already have in your kitchen and create this delicious, crusty, pizza dough that your family will love. If you divide the dough into smaller pieces before rolling it out, the kids will have fun creating their own special pizzas. What a great idea for a Friday night…

2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

2 c. very warm water {105-115 deg}

1 tsp. Kosher salt

2 tsp. olive oil {plus a bit extra for bowl}

5-6 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. honey

3 Tbsp. cornmeal

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning {optional}

2-3 jars pizza sauce

3-4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

various desired toppings {pepperoni, cooked sausage, sliced veggies, mushrooms, pineapple (my fav!), onion, etc}

Place yeast and honey in warm water…blend well and set aside for 5 minutes {this is called “proofing the yeast” as you are bringing it back to life from a dehydrated state. A thick, foamy layer will form on the top of the water, this is a good thing and means the yeast is activating}.

Place 3 c. flour and salt in mixing bowl. Attach dough hook. Blend briefly to mix well. Add yeast mixture and blend well. Slowly add remaining flour {you may not use it all, so add about 1/2 c. at a time}. Stop adding flour when dough clings to dough hook and sides of mixer bowl are cleaned. Dough should be very slightly tacky {or sticky} to the touch.

Remove dough from bowl, LIGHTLY coat bowl with olive oil, form dough into a ball and place into oiled bowl {toss dough to cover all sides with oil}. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm place, away from drafts, until doubled in size {about 1 hour}. An easy way to do this is to heat your oven to it’s lowest setting {usually 170} and place the covered bowl on top of your stove. The heat will radiate from the vents on top of your stove and is a nice temperature to encourage the rising process.

Preheat oven to 425 {place pizza stones or baking pans in oven to preheat as well, if you don’t preheat the pans, you will sometimes have soggy pizza crust in the middle of the pizza}. Divide dough into 3 pieces, place 1 piece of dough on well-floured surface. Use floured rolling pin to make 15” circle.

Sprinkle baking stone or baking pan with 1 Tbsp. cornmeal. Place dough on pan, top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and toppings of your choice.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.