THIN PIZZA CRUST RECIPES

Steps:

• Mix a little sugar into the warm water.
• Sprinkle yeast on top.
• Wait for 10 minutes or until it gets all foamy.
• Pour into a large bowl.
• Add flour, salt, olive oil.
• Combine.
• Knead for 6-8 minutes until you have a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (add a bit more flour if you need to).
• Cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes.
• Lightly grease two 12-inch pizza pans.
• Sprinkle with a little bit of cornmeal.
• Divide dough in half.
• Place each half on a pizza pan and pat it with your fingers until it stretches over the whole pan.
• Try to make it thicker around the edge.
• If desired, pre-bake at 425 F for 10 minutes (I don't always do this).
• Then spread with pizza sauce and use the toppings of your choice.
• Bake at 425 F for 10-20 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot.
• Makes 2 12-inch pizzas.
• If you don't want to use all the dough, you can freeze it.
• Take a portion of dough, form into a ball, rub olive oil over it and place it in a freezer bag (the oil makes it easier to take out of the bag).
• When you want to make a pizza, take dough out of freezer and allow to thaw before using.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. If you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.
• Divide the dough in half and roll into a 12-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick.
• Dust pizza peel or baking sheet with cornmeal. Place rolled out dough on peel. Brush pizza dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the edges. Sprinkle 1/4 cup basil leaves on top of sauce and then top with 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Finally, top with 1/2-pound mozzarella slices. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and the edges are golden brown. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 2 pizzas.
• In an electric mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, water and lard together to make a paste. Add the flour and salt and mix, using a dough hook, until the dough comes away from the sides and crawls up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Grease the bowl with olive oil and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide dough in half. Roll the dough into balls, cover, and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The dough is ready to be shaped.