Thin Crust Pizza Dough

In the bowl of your stand mixer, use a spoon to mix warm water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Pour in the packet of yeast and combine with a spoon. Let yeast mix stand for about 8-10 minutes until it starts to foam.

With the dough hook attached (if using a Kitchen Aid mixer) on level 2 speed, add flour, one cup at a time, salt, garlic powder and olive oil to the yeast mixture. I suggest starting with 2-1/2 cups of flour. If the mix is still sticky, add a little more. I used about 2-3/4 to 3 cups total when it was all said and done.

Mix on level 2 or 3 for about 8 minutes or until dough has formed into a ball.

I find that my Kitchen Aid doesn’t always get all the flour off the sides and bottom of the bowl, so once the ball formed, I take the dough out and knead it with my hands a couple times on a lightly floured surface.

Place dough on a plate or in a bowl and cover. Let rest for 25-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

This recipe will make two pizzas, so divide the dough into two equal parts. If only making one pizza, place one ball of dough in the fridge or freezer for another day (I spray the inside of the Ziploc with Pam to keep it from sticking).

Roll the dough out to about a 12″ circle – nice and thin. Sprinkle a little cornmeal on your pizza pan or stone to keep the dough from sticking. Place dough on pan or stone.

(If using a stone, I like to heat the stone in the oven while the dough is rising.)

Try and pinch the sides up to make it thicker around the edges. Or, if using a pizza pan, you can use your hands to spread the dough out over the pan.

Then add pizza sauce and whatever toppings you choose.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. The result is a nice, crispy, thin crust!

(You can also throw this on the grill for a quick, yummy crust!)