Cold-Rise Pizza Dough

Makes 2 crusts.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in the bowl of your mixer and let stand for 5 minutes. Make sure your bowl is also warm – if it isn’t, warm it with a bit of warm water first.

Whisk together 1 1/4 cups cold water, oil, sugar (or honey if using), and salt in another bowl.

Add 5 1/2 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture in the mixer bowl, then add the cold water mixture. Using the dough hook on your mixer, mix the dough on low for 8 minutes or until dough begins to form. Add a few more tablespoons of flour to mixture if it needs it. Let rest 2 minutes. Mix again on low 6 minutes or until dough is smooth.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes). Add enough of the remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands — but dough will still be a bit sticky.

Divide dough in half and put each portion into a gallon plastic bag coated with cooking spray. Chill in the fridge overnight or up to 2 days. Bring dough to room temperature for 1 hour before using.

To make your pizza:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Stretch/press your pizza dough into the pan of your choice; I usually use a 14-inch round pan brushed with olive oil. Add sauce/toppings, bursh crust with a bit of olie oil if you like, and bake pizza for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and crust is golden brown.

This dough is freezable! Freeze in a heavy-duty, freezer-safe plastic bag for up to 2 months. To use, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator.