PW's Pizza Crust

We have been on a "homemade pizza" kick around here.  Grace and Jack can't seem to get enough of creating their own personal pizzas.  I have always bought either the Pillsbury ready-to-bake crusts or the crust mix I found here in the UK.

On Friday, rather than go to the store to buy more pizza crust mix, I decided to try Pioneer Woman's recipe. (It's also in her first cookbook.)  I had all the ingredients I needed...all four of them.  Salt, flour, olive oil, and yeast are all you need.  I am always hesitant to try any yeast-based recipes, but now I will fear no more!

This was SO easy and SO good.  We could all tell a difference in the fresh, homemade crust.  Yummy!

A few changes I made:

-I mixed it by hand with no problem.  Sadly, I don't think my little hand mixer could handle a dough!
-I let it rise on the counter for awhile, but then covered the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.  This made it less sticky and easier to handle.
-I kneaded it with some flour a few times before rolling it out into a pizza crust.
-I suggest you roll or stretch it very thin.  This pizza crust rises as it bakes.
-I divided the dough into thirds to make smaller pizzas.

The pizza dough after mixing.

After rising for about an hour

I divided the dough into thirds and then kneaded a few times.

The dough rolled out.  I used a rolling pin instead of stretching with my hands.  I did manage to toss it a few times in the air like a real pizza chef!

Starting to assemble the pizza.  My kids like to roll up the edges of the crust.

A basic cheese pizza

Makes 2 large crusts

Ingredients
1 teaspoon (half packet) yeast
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup olive oil

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil.

Cover with a moist kitchen towel and set in a warm place for 1-2 hours.  Or cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it. 

Divide the dough in half.  Press or roll out the dough to desired size.  Cover with toppings.  Bake at 500F for 8-10 minutes.  (I baked at about 220C.)