Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

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I have been working on the right pizza dough recipe for years and a couple of years ago I adapted a recipes from Better Crocker’s 40th Anniversary Cookbook that is for traditional white bread.  After tinkering with it for several months, the family declared that I had found the right combination.  

Ingredients

• 6-7 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 2 packages regular or quick-acting active dry yeast
• 2 1/4 cups very warm water (120 to 130 degrees F.)

Directions

1. Mix 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, shortening and yeast in a  large bowl.  Add warm water.  Beat on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.  Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.  Stir in remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, making dough easy to handle.
2. Knead for 5 minutes. 
3. Place tablespoon of cooking oil in bottom of large bowl.  Place dough in and flip over.  Let rise for 1 hour.
4. After an hour, punch down, divide into three equal parts and roll out for pizza dough.
5. Dough will make three pizzas (depending on how thick you want your crust.
6. Sprinkle teaspoon of corn meal in on pizza pan before putting dough on pizza stone or pizza pan.
7. Place pizza sauce, desired toppings, and cheese.
8. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. (and if using pizza stone, preheat stone)  Cook for 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness of dough and toppings.