Grandpa’s Pizza

By Bill Malloy

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

dough dressing:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic (pressed)
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. oregano

toppings:
spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce
other toppings as desired

Directions:
1. Mix yeast into warm water and sugar. When the yeast is foamy add the rest of the ingredients.
2. I use a bread machine. A stand mixer will do as well. Mix the dough until it is smooth.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. I let the dough rise for 6 to 8 hours, punching the dough down about every hour and turning the ball of dough over.
4. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. with a stone on the lower rack of the oven. Preheat the oven for at least 30 minutes or longer.
5. Shape the pizza leaving a rim on the outer edge. When ready to pre-bake dough, put on dough dressing, then tomato sauce if using. Poke holes in the dough with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming. If bubbles do form, prick with a sharp fork.
6. Bake the pizza with just the dough dressing and tomato sauce for 4 to 5 min. or until crust begins to brown.
7. Remove pizza crust from oven. Put on rest of toppings as desired and put back into oven. Bake until cheese is melted and begins to brown, 4 to 5 min.