Let's all admit it up front.... we have all bought pizza crust in a tube at least once in our lives. How do those sealed cans of frustration even get created?! Sounds like a "visit the factory" episode for Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood: "How food in cans is sealed and ready to defy even the most patient of people."
Then, we have the pre-made crusts in packages like Boboli and the super affordable ones from Aldi's (that actually aren't bad). This recipe will take it up a notch!!
My Dad made pizza dough in our 90's bread maker. No kneading required. Easy to put the ingredients in, turn the machine on and let the yeasty smell fill the kitchen for the next 3-4 hours. And man....that crust was the bomb. It was his signature for the "thank you pizza" and the "pepperoni under the cheese pizza." Both have their own blog because they are that important. Check the archives!
The only problem with the bread maker route is that it has to be started in the afternoon. We here at the Mealy House don't always plan that far in advance so we found this jackpot of a recipe that can be thrown together rather quickly (as long as you have active dry yeast on hand). Now, neither of us can usually remember if we do so we end up buying extra packets and we have tons of single packets left over in our cabinet!
We also used this recipe for a #5475 meal night at Kathy's House before Christmas and the smell alone enticed guests out of their rooms. Nothing like fresh baked bread/dough to cure a non-appetite.
You can get fancy with this like throw the dough up the air and catch it (Kyle does, I'm still cautiously working on it). There is also the melted butter/garlic salt "rub" to brush on the crust once baked that adds that extra Mmmmmmm factor. Whatever you do, this recipe should be printed out or written down in your best handwriting and stuck in your family's recipe box or binder with sheet protectors up front and center :)
Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes or if you are Kyle 5 minutes).
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth (We use our Kitchenaide dough hook attachment). Let rest 5 minutes.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased (we use shortening) pizza pan dusted with cornmeal. Spread with toppings of choice and bake in preheated over for 15-20 minutes or until a perfectly delicious looking golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting.
