CORA'S THIN & CRISPY PIZZA

(with detailed instructions for finding ingredients and tools, making dough, pre-baking crusts and baking pizza)
1 teaspoon dry yeast*
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 all- purpose flour*
1 teaspoon kosher salt*
1 tablespoon olive oil
(I prepare one batch at a time to keep proportions balanced) 

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to blend (I use a rubber spatula to scrape sides as I stir). When everything comes together, use hands to shape into a ball, dough should not stick to hands too much - no kneading or rising necessary. Let dough rest while you dust a flat surface and rolling pin with flour. Cut or pinch dough into 3 or 4 pieces (I make 4 very thin crusts from one batch of dough, 3 can be a little thicker, or a little larger). Shape each piece of dough into a ball. Roll out on floured surface with floured rolling pin - alternate directions of rolling pin to create round shape, but any shape will work!

Pre-baking crust on pizza stone:
Place stone on lowest rack of oven, remove all other racks to make room for placing and removing pizza. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place one rolled crust on a thin metal pizza paddle, or other flat rimless object dusted with flour (flat baking sheet, thin cutting board, etc.) Poke small holes all over the crust with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Gently tap front edge of pizza paddle on hot stone to loosen pizza crust and slide onto stone. Pre-bake for 2- 2.5 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown. Remove from oven with pizza paddle or a large spatula. Cool on a wire rack. Crust is now perfect to add sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice - keeping in mind that a thinner layer of toppings will cook faster and more evenly. Slide into oven with paddle or other flat object and bake until toppings cook, cheese melts and/or crust rim is brown - approximately 3-8 minutes. Remove carefully with paddle or spatula and cool slightly before cutting.

Pre-baking crust on baking sheet: Place rack in low-center of oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place one rolled crust on floured baking sheet. Poke small holes all over the crust with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Place baking sheet into oven and bake for 2-2.5 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown. Remove from oven and cool crust on pan or wire rack. Crust is now perfect to place on baking sheet and add sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice - keeping in mind that a thinner layer of toppings will cook faster and more evenly. Place baking sheet back in 500 degree oven and bake until toppings cook, cheese melts and/or crust rim is brown - approximately 3-8 minutes. Remove  and cool slightly before cutting.

Ingredient & Tool Information:

yeast - I use SAF yeast, available at the Neighborhood Co-Op or King Arthur Flour and other places, I'm sure.  Fleishman's dry yeast works just fine.
flour - I used King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour for everything. It is available at Kroger and Schnuck's and Walmart.
salt - I always use Morton's or Diamond Kosher salt. If you use regular table salt, you may want to use a little less, because it is a little "saltier".
metal pizza paddle - (or sometimes called a pizza peel) - can be found in the Target and Walmart pizza stone packages, other stores and King Arthur Flour
pizza stone - I use a stone large rectangular stone I bought at King Arthur Flour, but they have stones available at Bed, Bath & Beyond (stones and kits with cutter and paddle), Kohl's, and Dillard's. 

Walmart and Target both have a round stone, pizza cutter and metal pizza paddle package set for about $30.

Simple is better and you don't need a stone with handles or a serving rack, because you don't want to handle a hot stone anyway. I leave my stone on the bottom rack of my oven all the time, just because I think it helps retain and regulate the heat in the oven for anything I bake on the racks. After baking pizza, I let it cool and wipe the flour residue with a damp towel - but that's all the care a good stone needs. Any spilled ingredients may burn onto the stone, which I tend to ignore, or just scape off with a metal spatula after the stone cools. I also use my stone to bake breads when I don't use a pan.

If you can't use all of your pizza crusts at one time, just place them in a big Ziploc bag and keep in the freezer take one or more out anytime you want a fast pizza. Remove from freezer - top with your favorite ingredients - bake at 500 until hot and bubbly.

Making individual pizzas at home would be a fun activity - and meal - when grandchildren visit? Or a gift of some crusts and a few topping ingredients makes a good gift anytime for anyone who likes to cook.
Enjoy!
Cora