Pizza Dough Recipe

from James McNair's Vegetarian Pizza

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
1 envelope yeast
3 /14 cups flour (You can substitute 1 cup whole wheat flour for 1 cup of white flour if you want)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water. Combine 3 cups flour and the salt in your mixing bowl. After the yeast mixture has gotten foamy, add it and the olive oil to the flour and salt in your mixing bowl. Mix for about one minute with the flat mixing attachment (the regular attachment) until combined. Switch to the dough hook. Knead with the dough hook for about five minutes. If it's sticky, add the additional 1/4 cup flour. Put in a bowl coated with olive oil. Turn the dough to coat it with oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until double in bulk, about two hours.

This will make two 12-inch pizzas. Top with toppings and bake at 500 degrees for 12-14 minutes. I usually put cornmeal on the pan before I put the dough down.

If you don't have a mixer with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt, make a well in it, pour in the yeast mixture and oil, stir with a wooden spoon until combined, and then knead for 5-7 minutes.

This also makes great breadsticks. Top with minced garlic and olive oil, mozzarella cheese, and salt.

To make focaccia bread, increase the salt to 2 teaspoons and the water to 1 1/2 cups. Omit the oil from the dough. Let the dough rise for at least three hours. Generously coat a 9 x 13 pan with olive oil. Pour in the dough. Brush more olive oil on the top of the dough. Sprinkle kosher salt on top (and any herbs you want). Bake 375 for 30 to 35 minutes.