INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Note: If you double this recipe to make two pizzas, do not double the
quantity of yeast.  Place the flour and salt in a 2-quart mixing bowl
and stir well to  mix; make a well in the center.  Measure the water
and pour it into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast  on the surface of
the water and leave it to soften 3 or 4 minutes.  Whisk the yeast and
water together then whisk in 1 tablespoon of the  oil.  Pour the liquid
mixture to the well into the flour and stir with a  rubber spatula to
form a soft, sticky dough. Turn the dough out on a  floured work
surface. Knead the dough gently, folding it over on  itself, and
scraping it off the surface with a spatula or plastic  scraper if it is
very sticky. Avoid adding more flour to the dough --  that will produce
a tough pizza. Knead for about 5 minutes, until the  dough is smooth
and no longer so sticky.  Rinse and dry the bowl. Spread 1 tablespoon
oil all around the inside  of the bowl. Form the dough into a ball and
place in the bowl. Turn  the ball upside down, so that the top surface
of the dough is oiled,  and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow
dough to rise at room  temperature about 1 hour, or until doubled in
bulk. For advance  preparation, cover and refrigerate the dough several
hours or even  overnight.  To form the pizza crust, generously flour
the work surface. Flour  your hand and scrape the dough from the bowl
in one piece, without  stretching or folding it. Place the dough on the
floured work surface  so that what was on top in the bowl is now
underneath.  Scatter a tablespoon or so of flour over the dough and
press down on  it with the palm of the hand. Be careful to keep the
dough an even  disk shape. If the dough is freshly made, it may resist
slightly.  Should that happen, cover it with plastic wrap and allow it
to rest  for about 5 minutes, then resume the process. If the dough has
been  rested for a long time either in the refrigerator or at room
temperature, it will respond easily.  Form your right hand into a fist
and begin to press the dough in a  circle, about 1/2-inch in from the
edge of the dough, with the middle  joints of your fingers (as though
knocking on a door). Pull gently  with your other hand on the edge of
the dough, opposite where the  dough is being pressed. Continue around
the crust two or three times  in this manner to flatten and widen it.
For a rectangular crust,  press and pull the dough into a rectangular
shape -- use a rolling  pin of the dough resists. Pour the remaining 2
tablespoons olive oil  onto a round or rectangular pizza pan and spread
it with the palm of  one hand. Fold the crust in half and transfer it
to the oiled pan.  Unfold the dough and press it into place in the pan
with the palms of  both hands, gently stretching from the center
outward. If the dough  resists, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to
rest for about 5  minutes, then resume the process.  When the dough is
properly stretched, it should be about 1/8-inch  thick and have a
1/2-inch wide border which is slightly thicker.  Set racks at the
lowest and highest levels of the oven and preheat to  Top the pizza
with any of the suggestions that follow the recipe.  Bake the pizza on
the bottom rack of the oven for about 30 minutes.  After about 10
minutes, lift an end of the pizza with a metal spatula  to check that
the bottom is not burning. If the bottom is coloring  too quickly,
slide another pan under the first one. If the bottom is  light golden,
check again after another 10 minutes. When the pizza is  done, the top
should be sizzling gently, and the bottom a dark brown.  If the top has
not colored sufficiently when the bottom is done,  place pizza on top
rack of the oven for an additional 5 minutes.  Yield: Makes one round
pizza crust, 12 to 14 inches in diameter, or a  9 to 10 by 12 to
15-inch rectangular pizza  Storage: Serve immediately. If the pizza has
to wait, the crust may  become soggy and reheating may make it hard
rather than crisp.  Hints for Success: Be sure that the oven has
preheated sufficiently  before putting in the pizza. A pizza with an
underdone crust is very  unappetizing.  VARIATION  GRILLED PIZZA:
Grilled pizza is one of the most popular items at Al  Forno, Johanne
Killeen and George Germon's charming restaurant in  Providence, Rhode
Island. In their book Cucina Simpatica,  (HarperCollins, 1991) they
give detailed instructions for preparing  pizza their way. My method is
continued in part 2

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 2323
Calories From Fat: 523
Total Fat: 59.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 2341.1mg
Potassium: 612.6mg
Carbohydrates: 384.8g
Fiber: 15.7g
Sugar: 1.4g
Protein: 54.9g