Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 3/4 cups (6 ounces) lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon active-dry or instant yeast
• 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• For the toppings:
• For the base, classic red sauce or a white sauce, a thin spread of ricotta cheese, or a simple brush of olive oil
• For toppings, sautéed onions, red peppers, mushrooms, cooked sausage, or bacon
• For cheese, one or a combination of the following: mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, fontina, romano, and asiago

Directions

1. Set the oven to 500°F or as hot as it will go and let it heat for at least half an hour before making the pizza. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the lower-middle part of the oven now.

2. Combine the water and yeast in a mixing bowl, and stir to dissolve the yeast. The mixture should look like thin miso soup. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix until you’ve formed a shaggy dough.

3. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface along with any loose flour still in the bowl. Knead until all the flour is incorporated, and the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough should still feel moist and slightly tacky. If it’s sticking to your hands and countertop like bubble gum, work in more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it is smooth.

4. Cover the dough with the upside-down mixing bowl or a clean kitchen towel while you prepare the pizza toppings.

5. When ready to make the pizza, tear off 2 pieces of parchment paper roughly 12 inches wide. Divide the dough in 2 with a bench scraper. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the parchment paper.

6. Bake for about 5 minutes and then rotate the pizza, removing the parchment from under the pizza as you do so. Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese looks toasty.

7. If you have time at this point, you can let the dough rise until you need it or until doubled in bulk (about an hour and a half). After rising, you can use the dough or refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

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