How to Make Easy Pizza Crust

A thick pizza crust

Everyone has a favorite pizza crust, from the super thin to stuffed. A simple pizza crust recipe will allow you to make whatever kind you like: For a stuffed crust pizza crust, make the crust extra wide and roll sticks of mozzarella into the edges. For a garlic crust, crush garlic cloves and fold them into your pizza dough. For an extra herb pizza crust, mix Italian herbs with the dry mixture.

Things You'll Need

• 1 1/2 cups hot water (not boiling)
• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 2 teaspoons white or brown sugar
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cups corn meal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pizza stone or round baking sheet
• Large mixing bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Parchment paper (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

1. Combine the water, yeast and sugar.

2. Measure out the flour and wait for bubbles to form in the wet mixture.

3. Add the flour to the wet mixture and stir until well-combined.

4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface once it forms a ball and knead until smooth and elastic.

5. Pour the olive oil into a bowl and place the dough in it, turning it once to cover the dough in oil. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.

6. Stretch the dough in the air Italian style or roll it with a rolling pin until it fits your pan.

7. Lay down parchment paper (optional) and dust the pan or parchment paper with cornmeal or semolina flour.

8. Bake on a baking stone for five minutes at 500 degrees.

9. Cover with toppings and cook for another 10 minutes at 500 degrees.

Tips & Warnings

• For a stuffed crust pizza crust, make the crust extra wide and roll sticks of mozzarella into the edges of the crust.

• For a garlic crust, crushed garlic cloves and fold them into your pizza dough.

• For an extra herb pizza crust, mix Italian herbs in with the dry mixture.