Pizza Dough

I got this recipe for pizza dough from my friend, Michelle Grant, who got it from her dear mother-in-law, Jenny Grant.  The date on the recipe card is 1991!  I'm going to give two versions of the recipe, the original, and the one I've tweaked over the years.  I make pizza every Friday night, unless something really weird happens.  Pizza take out for a family of seven would really set us back, but homemade healthy pizza is no big deal on the wallet.

Here's Jenny's original recipe:

Pizza Dough #1

Dissolve 1 tablespoon yeast in 2 cups of warm water with one tablespoon of sugar dissolved in it.  Let sit for five minutes, until yeast is activated.  Add 2 cups of white flour and one teaspoon of salt.  Stir well.  Add another 2-3 cups of flour, until dough pulls away from side of bowl.  Turn out on floured counter, and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary.  Cover in greased bowl, let rise until double.  Punch down.  Divide in two, roll out and place on greased pizza pans.  Add sauce, cheese and toppings.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

And here's my recipe:

Pizza Dough #2

Add 2 tablespoons yeast to two cups very warm water with 2 tablespoons sugar dissolved in it.  Let sit for five minutes, until yeast is activated.  Add 2 cups of white flour, a healthy glug of canola or olive oil (roughly 1/4 cup, I never measure) and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Stir well.  Add another 2-3 cups of flour, until dough pulls away from side of bowl.  Turn out on floured counter, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour as necessary.  Cover in greased bowl, and let rise until double.  Punch down dough, divide in four equal pieces.  Roll out and place on four greased pizza pans that have been sprinkled with fine cornmeal.  Add sauce, cheese and toppings, and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. 

This recipe originally makes 2 crusts, they are very high and fluffy.  My family likes a thin crust, so I divide it into four pieces.  Adding the oil and extra sugar improves the texture and flavor, in my opinion.  I like the little bit of crunch the cornmeal on the pan adds, but I try to use as fine a cornmeal as I can find.