Easy No-Knead Pizza Crust

I wish I had known about this pizza crust recipe sooner. It ought to be mailed out across the nation to spare folks from pizza crust-making catastrophes, along with my grandmother's recipe for pie crust. Crusts don't have to be so scary!

Would you believe me if I told you that I have made this pizza crust almost every week since I first tried the recipe? It's that good and that easy. I love that I can mix this dough up in less than five minutes (often in the afternoon while Wendy naps).

The ingredient list is short and sweet: bread flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and water. 

Yeast. Yes, there is yeast involved. Don't be scared!

 The five ingredients just get mixed together. No kneading involved. 

 After the dough rises, it gets divided in half and s...t...r...e...t...c...h...e...d out onto a baking sheet and smothered in sauce. The baking sheet has been thoroughly greased with oil, making the crust extra crispy and golden and delicious on the bottom.

 Fresh mozzarella, torn into small-ish pieces. 

 I could happily eat cheese pizza without anything else, but Printz Charming needs MEAT on his pizza. So a pound of bacon gets cooked and some of it gets eaten and the rest of it makes its way onto the pizza with pineapple. 

 Two pizzas, ready for baking. (Be sure to use a baking pan with sides so that oil and cheese don't get all over your oven.)

 Enjoy the deliciousness you have created!

Easy No-Knead Pizza Crust

Recipe adapted from Shutterbean 

Yields enough for two pizzas

• 3 3/4 cups bread flour
• 1 package (or 2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp sugar
• 1 1/3 cups warm water (to activate yeast)
• olive oil for the pans (I use a garlic-infused oil for extra flavor)

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add the water and mix together until the dough is blended. 

Cover with a damp towel and let rise for 2 hours at room temperature. 

Turn dough onto a floured surface and divide it into two equal pieces. Generously oil two 13x18 inch baking sheets. Place the dough on the baking sheets and gently stretch and press it to fit the pan. (Note: I never stretch mine thin enough to fill the pan.) Piece any tears back together.

Cover the dough with your favorite pizza sauce and top with small pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese. Add basil, garlic, or any other desired toppings. 

Bake at 450F for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is a deep golden brown.