Three Paths to Pizza Crust

Method One

Purchase a high-quality, pre-made organic crust.

Method Two

Prepare organic pizza dough from a packaged mix—and, if you like, doctor it up by adding fresh or dried herbs to the mix. If you go for thick-crust pizza, prepare two packages for one pizza.

Method Three

Make your own from-scratch dough from organic ingredients:

Combine 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast, a pinch of salt and 1 1/3 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees) in a large bowl; stir gently to combine and let stand a few minutes to activate the yeast. Next combine 3 cups white flour, 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour,
2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt; stir into yeast mixture to combine.

Transfer to a floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, shiny, and springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Shape dough into a ball and roll it in a large, oiled bowl to coat it all around. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap, set it in a warm place (75 to 85 degrees) and let it rise until doubled in bulk, 60-90 minutes.

Punch down dough and divide it into two equal-sized pieces. Shape pieces into smooth balls. Cover dough balls loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise again for 15-30 minutes. Now the balls can be rolled and/or stretched out on a floured surface into two 12-inch crusts. (If you’re making only one pizza, the second dough ball may be frozen for future use.) Lightly press all over the dough surface with your fingertips (this will help prevent it from bubbling up when it bakes) and then let it rest for a few minutes before adding toppings and baking the pizza. Note: You can also opt to pre-bake the crust for 5 minutes before adding toppings; this produces a crisper crust, especially if you have a lot of toppings or if they are moist.)

~ From food editor Terese Allen