Homemade pizza crust is easier than you think

Thanks to my friend Jody Ruland for getting my butt in gear with the pizza crust recipe!!! I am wondering why I haven't made my own crust all along...

In 1 cup of warm water, dissolve 1 Tablespoon of white sugar. Sprinkle on 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, until tiny bubbles start forming on the surface. In a separate bowl, mix gently 1 tsp. of salt, 1 cup of whole wheat flour, and 2 cups of all-purpose flour. (You could also use 3 cups of all-purpose flour if you don't like the texture of whole wheat flour.)

Pour the dry mix into the water and yeast mixture, and add 3 Tablespoons of olive oil to everything. Mix with a spoon for about 1 minute until fully incorporated. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it forms a solid, smooth ball. This takes about 5 minutes, or even less. In a lightly-oiled bowl, place the ball of dough. Turn it a couple times to make sure the oil coats all sides (this keeps it from drying out). Let it raise in a warm location (maybe above a pre-heating oven) for about an hour, maybe an hour and 15 minutes.

Your dough is ready to use. If you half the dough mixture, it makes approximately two 14" pizza crusts. If you cut it into four chunks, it will make four personal pan size pizzas (This is great if you let everyone choose their own toppings). Immediately after cutting the dough apart, make sure to roll the chunks into balls so that when you want to roll out the dough the edges turn out smoother. It wouldn't hurt to lightly coat each ball in olive oil again.

After sectioning the dough off, you can keep it in the refrigerator for a couple days or in the freezer for longer. Just wrap them securely.

I decided to try out my pie crust rolling bags to roll out the pizza crust. It worked very well - I floured the inside of the bag and rolled. It kept the crust clean and my rolling pin clean, too. I rolled to about 1/4 inch thick, which gave me about a 10" personal pan sized crust. I recommend investing in the pie crust bags (which are circular zippered-bags designed to give you the perfect pie crust) if you're going to make a habit of homemade pizza crust.

To bake, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Brush your pan of choice (a cookie sheet fits two personal pan sizes nicely) lightly with olive oil. Next, place the dough on the pan. I would encourage you to brush the edges generously with olive oil (try a mix of olive oil and roasted garlic, mmmmm) so they get golden brown.

Now place your sauce of choice on the crust - my personal favorite is a smooth blend of fresh parsley, olive oil, fresh garlic cloves, a tad of hot red pepper flakes, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Don't forget to spread it close to the edges.

Top with veggies and meat of your choice - make sure the meat is pre-cooked. Now sprinkle a bit of cheese. I recommend a flavorful, pungent cheese like extra sharp cheddar or parmesan. You will use less cheese to achieve a high level of flavor.

I also sprinkle on the edges a bit of garlic salt for a flavorful crust.

I usually start off with a bake time of 20 minutes for the minis, but keep an eye on it!! When the cheese is melted and browing, it should be done. You want to also make sure the crust is cooked through, by lifting up the pizza a bit and testing the bottom to check for no doughiness.