Tasty Pizza Dough

Once again, I'm giving you a big recipe. I like to make this dough, cook one, and then freeze the other. Make sure to stretch the dough into the shape of your pan before you freeze it, so when you pull it out to cook it, you can throw it right into the pan, put the toppings on, and bake it. You'll save time and frustration. Rolling out frozen dough is NO FUN. :)

Pizza Dough:
3 cups warm water (110-120 degrees)
2 Tbsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. light olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
6 to 7 cups flour

Grease your pans (I like to use 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a jelly-roll style pan with edges so I get that crispy texture on the bottom of the crust).

Put water in mixing bowl, add yeast and stir. Watch for yeast mixture to start bubbling.

Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil to yeast mixture. Stir.

Add whole wheat flour and 3 cups of flour. Stir

Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until your dough pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.

Knead dough (you can use your KitchenAid or Bosch for this part, too)
Dough should be smooth, but not hard to knead.

Divide dough into two equal portions (or more if you want to make individual pizzas). Stretch into greased pan for cooking. If you plan to freeze, roll out dough to size of pan, place waxed paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and place dough on paper. Place in freezer until hard. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and return to freezer until ready to use. When ready to cook, pull dough out 1 hour before cooking time, and place in greased pan. Watch for it to begin rising, you'll know it is time to put the toppings on!

Top the dough with pizza sauce, cheese (we like to use a mixture of mozzarella, cheddar, colby jack, Parmesan, and Romano), and toppings. If you want a stuffed crust, simply roll string cheese (pulled into 3-4 pieces) into edges of the crust. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes, until crust is browned on bottom (Convection oven: 425 for 10 minutes). Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!

Cheesy Breadstick Variation:
Roll out dough, top with butter/margarine, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Salt, and cheese. Before baking, use pizza cutter to cut 1-2 inch strips in the dough. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes, until breadsticks are browned and cheese is melted. Serve with marinara dipping sauce. Great way to spice up your spaghetti dinner!