Pizza Crust Dough

Robyn is my dear friend. I met her when she moved into town my freshman year of high school (I think). She and her family moved away a few years later, but we were/are good enough friends that we have kept somewhat in touch even all these years later. She gave me a cute recipe box filled with great recipes. It must have been a wedding gift, or something like that, but I love her recipes, and I was so sad when the box fell off the counter and broke.

Anyways, here is a terrific recipe for pizza dough that she was kind enough to share with me.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour (it doesn't say to, but I like to use bread flour)
1 Tablespoon sugar (I like a little extra.)
1 teaspoon salt
1 package quick active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup very warm water

Mix 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add 3 Tablespoons oil and the warm water. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough soft. Knead for 5-8 minutes. Cover loosely and let rest for 30 minutes. Makes 2 pizzas. Divide dough in two and roll out, cover with your favorite pizza sauce, cheese and toppings. (We love to do ham and pineapple or cheese. When we make cheese pizza I like to use mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese/herb packets that come in the bags of Costco ravioli.)

For thin crust bake 425 degrees 8-10 minutes.
For thick crust bake 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

This is the best pizza dough I have made. I don't know if the bread flour makes the difference or what. It has a great flavor and texture, which I haven't been able to accomplish at home before.

I have done this twice in my bread machine, and it turned out beautifully. For my bread machine I add the water first, then sugar, salt, oil, 3 cups of flour and just 2 tsp. yeast goes in last. I set it to pizza dough, which takes 55 minutes. My crusts aren't thick or thin, so I have baked the pizzas at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, and they were perfect!

*UPDATE*  We have made this recipe several times, and I changed the way I bake the pizza slightly.  I bake them at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then turn the broiler on for 1-1 1/2 minutes at the end.  I think the pizzas turn out just perfect this way.  I have also started sprinkling the pizzas with garlic salt before adding the toppings.  YUM!!