Pizza Dough Recipe to live by

Best Pizza Dough Recipe 

About 15 years ago I got this recipe for "tried and true" pizza dough. I copied it out of friend's recipe binder and have now made it HUNDREDS of times!
It makes two 10"-12" thin crust pizza doughs!  you NEED this recipe because everyone should have an easy pizza dough recipe that really works.  
There really is nothing like home made dough...

Here you go!

You'll need:
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup of warm water (on the hot side)
1 tbsp honey (we use Babe's on Vancouver Island)
2 cups of organic unbleached white flour
1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour1 
1/2 tbsp organic olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cornmeal (optional)

Directions: 

 ~Preheat your oven to 200* - turn off right away and open the door to let some heat out. 
~Pour yeast into a large mixing bowl and add honey and hot tap water to activate the yeast.
~Mix well with a wooden spoon, cover with a dish towel and put into the turned off oven for 5-10 minutes until mixture is foamy. 


~Meanwhile, combine both flours and set aside

~Add olive oil and salt to yeast mixture using the wooden spoon, mix well.

~Add one cup of the flour mixture and stir until smooth

~Add a second cup of flour mixture and continue to stir until dough forms a soft and sticky mass that comes a way from the bowl

~Flour your work surface and you hands with some of the remaining flour

~Turn the dough out of the bowl onto floured surface and knead in more flour until dough is smooth and elastic.

~Shape the dough into a ball. Put some olive oil on the inside of the bowl with your hands so the dough ball will not stick while rising.

~Cover the bowl again this time with plastic (I use an old grocery bag but cling wrap will work too). Put the bowl back into the oven that was turned off but remains warm, close the door and set a timer for 45-50 minutes.

~We use pizza stones but regular pizza pans work just fine too. (the pizza stone really crisps up the crust nicely)

~Put cornmeal on your pizza stones or spray oil onto 2, 12" pizza pans (We have very seasoned pizza stones where no spray or cornmeal is needed) 

~Punch down dough, divide in two balls and roll out to circles.


Now, here's the fun part!!!

Spread your choice of sauce (we often use yummy organic pasta sauce with garlic or mushrooms in it but really, you can use whatever you choose!)Place meat on the sauce, follow with cheese and then your chosen toppings.Remember* put toppings on your pizza from driest to wettest (Wettest ones going on the top so they dry out when cooking in the oven)

Bake from 13-16 minutes until cheeses are bubbly and crust is browned a little.

Let the pizza sit for 3-4 minutes before cutting and enjoy with a tossed green salad!