Thin-Crust Pizza

For two pizzas, about 10”x18” each

Tomato Sauce – about 2 cups or a little more

Cheese – 2 to 4 cups combo of grated muenster, cheddar, mozzarella

Toppings – caramelized onions, chopped garlic, chopped sausage, whatever you like, but not too much!

Tips

Preheat oven to 440 at least 30 minutes before pizza goes in.

Crust:

1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz)

1 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

½ tsp. sugar

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ - ½ tsp. salt

1 T olive oil plus extra

Mix the sugar with warm water and sprinkle yeast on top. Stir once. Wait about 10 minutes until the yeast gets foamy. Add flour, salt, and 1 T olive oil and 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; not too much). Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rest about 15 minutes.

Divide ball into two pieces. Roll each piece between sheets of lightly oiled parchment paper, making each one into a thin rectangle. Transfer crust to the underside of an inverted cookie sheet, keeping the bottom piece of parchment paper underneath it.

Brush the crust lightly with olive oil, unless it seems oily enough from the oil on the parchment paper. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, add toppings. Don’t overload with toppings if you want the crust to stay crisp.

Bake at 440 for 15-20 minutes until done.