Easy 12-Inch Pizza Crust Recipe

1. In a medium bowl, stir the yeast into warm water until all of the yeast is dissolved.
2. Stir in the sugar, salt, and oil.
3. Mix in enough flour to make a dough that can be kneaded.
4. Turn the dough out onto a board and quickly knead it for 3 minutes. Add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough remains too sticky to knead.
5. Place the dough into a greased bowl and flip it over so the dough top is also lightly greased.

1. Cover and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size (about 30 minutes).
2. Press the dough into a greased 12-inch pizza pan or into a well-oiled skillet pan. Be sure to also press the dough up on the edges to form the crust.
3. Add sauce and your desired toppings.
4. Bake the pizza at 400 F for about 20 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.

Pizza Making Tips

Personal pizza party. You can divide the pizza dough into smaller pieces to make 2-4 individual pizzas and have a pizza night with personal-sized pizzas. Let the everyone choose their own toppings.

Allergic to dairy? If someone at your pizza party cannot eat dairy products, there's no need to skip the cheese. Instead, buy shredded non-dairy cheese to top your pizza.

Pre-bake your crust. Pizza shells can be prepared and baked ahead of time. Allow the shells to cool completely, wrap them, and freeze. Whenever you want a pizza, remove the shell from the freezer and add your favorite toppings. Bake it as you normally would for an almost instant, hassle-free pizza.

The dough isn't rising! If your pizza dough is not rising, check your water source. Water that is heavily chlorinated or has gone through a water softener can kill off the bread yeast and prevent the dough from rising. It's always best to use bottled spring water instead of tap water for yeast doughs.

No pizza sauce? If you don't have pizza sauce on hand, use a ripe tomato instead. Simply cut the tomato into slices and lay the slices out on top of the flattened pizza dough.

Top with cheese and your other favorite toppings and bake as you normally would.