Basic Pizza Dough

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Place the warm water in a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Brush another large bowl with oil.

   Step 2

   Whisk sugar, oil, and salt into yeast mixture, then stir in flour with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to oiled bowl; brush top of dough with oil. Cover bowl with oiled plastic wrap; let stand in a warm spot until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

   Step 3

   Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface. With floured hands, knead until smooth, about 15 seconds; divide into two equal balls. To freeze dough, set balls on a plate (they should not touch); freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Then freeze in a labeled resealable plastic bag up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Variation

   Step 4

   To make whole-wheat dough, replace 2 cups all-purpose flour with 2 cups whole-wheat flour.