Activate the yeast. Add the warm water to a stand mixer bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Add a pinch of sugar. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes.

Make the dough. Fit your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt to the bowl. Add 1 cup of flour and mix everything together. Continue adding the flour 1/2 cup at a time until a dough that just clears the sides of the bowl has formed.

Knead. Switch to your dough hook and knead the dough for 3 minutes, sprinkling with additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time as needed. The dough should be very smooth and not stick to the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl and give it a couple quick kneads with your hands, forming it into a ball.

Rising. Coat the stand mixer bowl or another large bowl with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the dough ball, turning to coat in the oil once. Cover with saran wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes.

Punch down and roll out. Gently deflate the dough by punching it down with your knuckles. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll out to assemble your pizza.

To Make a Simple Pizza

Here is a quick how-to if you want to use your pizza dough to make a classic cheese pizza. You can add other toppings as desired. If using meat, make sure it has been cooked beforehand. I also recommend cooking most veggies before adding them to the pizza.

• Prep your tools. Heat your oven to 500F and place a pizza stone on the top rack, positioned in the middle of the oven. Lightly coat a pizza peel with cornmeal. Transfer the rolled out dough to the peel.
• Add your toppings. Spread your desired amount of pizza or pasta sauce on the dough, leaving about a 1-inch margin along the edges of the dough. Top with your desired amount of cheese.
• Bake. Slide the pizza onto your stone and bake for 8-9 minutes.
• Cool and serve. Use your pizza peel to remove the pizza from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then slice and serve!