New York Style Pizza Crust

You know how pizza is my favorite food?  Yeah I could eat every day I'm pretty sure.  Especially really good New York style pizza.  We had a go to spot in Winter Park Colorado that I'm pretty sure, the guy running it was in the witness protection program, hiding from the mob.  In Portland I love Hot Lips.  It is made with all local and/or organic ingredients and their flavor combos rock.  It almost tricks you into thinking pizza is healthy ;)    My favorite is the Southwest which is cilantro pesto, black beans, corn and feta.  Uhhh yeah.  Its super good.  Last time we ate there I said duh, why don't we make new york style pizza at home? Cuz the other homemade kind just isn't cutting it.  So I googled and found a recipe that got awesome reviews and we have been having pizza probably once a week since.  Its the best, I'm telling you! 

NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA CRUST

{adapted from food.com}

2/3 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp rapid rise or bread machine yeast

1 3/4 c flour 

1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

Combine water, sugar and yeast in mixer bowl.  Let the yeast proof for 5-10 minutes.

Add salt and flour mixing until a soft dough forms, then mix for another 5 minutes to knead the dough.

Once you have a smooth and elastic dough place in a bowl that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Turn to coat, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and let it rest for a couple of minutes.  

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Yep, 500 degrees.  

On a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone start stretching and patting your dough in to a pizza shape.  I start from the middle and work my way out.  You want it to be stretched really thin.  You can let it rest, then stretch to keep it from pulling apart.  

Once you have your crust ready, add your favorite toppings.

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My best tip to having an awesome pizza is to use whole milk mozzarella.  Not fresh mozzarella though,  which is probably too expensive for  making pizza.  Whole milk mozzarella is in the cheese section and can be hard to spot but its there.  It is a little bit more "wet" than the part skim variety so I slice it thinly rather than grate it.  It seriously makes all the difference when making pizza at home.  

Also homemade sauce rocks the house.  Last summer I made a bunch with a Mrs. Wages seasoning package and we love it.  I omited the sugar and added some more seasonings to it, then put it in 1/2 pint jars and froze it.   Oh, to be that prepared all the time...  

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Once you have your pizza ready and the oven is 500 degrees put your pan on the bottom rack to bake.  I'm thinking I cook mine for about 10 minutes.  I don't usually set a timer I just watch it and when the cheese starts to brown and bubble it should be done.  

Let it cool so you don't burn the top of your mouth!

Don't eat the whole thing.  

Mmmm... pizza.

How do you top your pizza?