Pizza Crust

Ingredients:
· 1 1/4 cup Warm Water*
· 1 tablespoon Rapid Rise Yeast
· 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
· 3 1/4 cups Bread Flour (may not use all)
· 2 tsp Salt
· 1 Egg (beaten)
· Pinch Sugar
· Additional Olive Oil (for baking)

*The water should be warm to the touch, but not hot. Hot water will kill the yeast.

**This recipe can yield two large pizzas. It really depends on thick/thin you prepare your dough.

Directions:

1. Whisk 1/4 cup of warm water and yeast together in a large bowl to dissolve. Add a pinch of sugar. Set aside for at least 5 minutes until the mixture becomes creamy.
2. Add the remaining 1 cup of water and whisk in 1 cup of flour until smooth.
3. Mix in olive oil and salt.
4. Mix in the beaten egg.
5. Add flour, handfuls at a time, until a smooth dough is formed. It's ok if it is still sticky and you can hold it covered in flour.
6. Turn the dough out onto a floured work area and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. Add additional flour as needed while kneading. When kneading, keep folding over the dough and pushing away. Do not tear the dough. It should push evenly, and should start feeling elastic the more you fold and push.
7. After kneadkng, turn the dough into a ball by tucking under the sides constantly and rotating at the same time. The dough is ready when it bounces back when indented with your finger. If it does not bounce back, knead the dough for a while longer.
8. Place the dough in a large greased bowl.
9. Let rise for about an hour in a draft free, warm area. I usually preheat my oven to the lowest temperature, turn it off, and place the dough in there. You can also place the dough in the refrigerator overnight after it has risen. Just keep in mind that you will end up with a thinner crust. The refrigerator "retards" the dough.
10. Punch the dough down. Prepare the dough into a circle on a pizza palette to place on a stone, or directly in a pizza pan. If using a pizza stone, preheat the stone @450 degrees before placing it on there. When preparing your dough, you can stretch it by hand to form the circle or roll. I prefer stretching by hand because you naturally end up with more pizza bubbles.
11. Press on the dough all over with your fingers to form dimples.
12. Let rise for an additional 5-10 minutes before topping your dough. Let rise longer if a thicker crust is desired.
13. Top with desired toppings. **
14. Bake in a 425-450 degrees oven for 10-20 minutes, until the toppings are melted.

**For the "Vermont" pizza as pictured, use the following toppings: 1/2 Granny Smith Apple, sliced, Caramelized Onions (2-3 large onions worth), Prosciutto, a liberal amount of finely chopped Sage, and Sharp White Cheddar. You should slightly sauté your prosciutto before placing on the pizza for crispiness. Also, brush your prepared pizza dough liberally with olive oil before topping.