Italian Pizza Crust Recipe
2 cups white flour
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning spice mix
Step #1:
Add all dry ingredients, except Italian seasoning spices, together in a large bowl. Stir in one cup warmed water, about 100 to 110 degrees F, while simultaneously adding in the Italian spices. This helps to get the spices evenly distributed throughout the crust. Use a wooden spoon to mix well and form a dough. Cover bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside someplace warm. Give the dough about 30 minutes to rise and it should roughly double in size from the action of the yeast.
Step #2:
Prepare a cleaned area, such as your countertop, with a light coating of flour for rolling the dough out. Transfer dough to the clean area and knead gently about 10 times. Then begin to shape the dough into a circular shape. Use a rolling pin to further flatten and shape the dough until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Roll it out thinner, about 1/3 inch thick, if you want a thinner, crispier crust. Transfer prepared crust to a pizza pan and add your pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings.
Step #3:
Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes. Monitor pizza crust, especially the bottom of the crust as it bakes. It will turn brown when it is done, plus the cheese will be melted and brown on top. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for at least five minutes before you attempt to slice it.