Homemade Pizza Dough

Place the lukewarm water in a small bowl and sprinkle yeast and sugar on top of it. Set aside for 10-15 minutes in a warm place. After 10-15 minutes you should see that foam has formed on top.

In another bowl, combine 1 cup of flour and salt.

Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture and pour it over the bowl of flour. Gradually add a second cup of flour. Stir it with a wooden spoon. When it is no longer very sticky, put it on a floured wooden board to knead.

A little at a time, knead the rest of the flour into the dough. It should be smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes of kneading).

Coat a bowl with vegetable oil and place dough inside. Make sure to use a bowl bigger than the ball of dough since it will rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm place for about 45 minutes. It should have doubled in size. To rest for readiness, poke the dough with 2 fingers. If the impression remains, it is ready.

This makes 2 crusts. I typically bake this for a total of about 20-25 minutes in a 375-degree oven.

(Recipe from The North End Italian Cookbook, Marguerite DiMino Buonopane.)