Slow-rise pizza dough:

1 t. regular active dry yeast
1 c. warm water (105 to 115 deg. F)
2 T. olive oil
2.5 to 3.5 c. spooned (not scooped) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
1.25 t. salt
Additional olive oil for bowl & hands, & for brushing on pizza before adding toppings
Cooking spray for Ziploc bag

1. Lightly coat the inside of a bowl with olive oil, or spray the inside of a gallon-size Ziploc freezer bag with PAM; set aside.

2. In warmed mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil, 2.5 c. flour, & salt. Attach bowl & dough hook. Turn to Speed 2 & mix 2 minutes. Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time, & mix about 2 minutes or until dough clings to hook & cleans sides of bowl. Knead dough on Speed 2 about 2 more minutes.

3. Oil your hands & transfer dough to the oiled bowl or Ziploc bag; turn dough over once to grease all sides. Cover bowl, or seal bag tightly. (Be sure to leave some air in the bag.) Let dough rise in warm draft-free place for 45-60 minutes.

4. Without punching dough down, park covered bowl or sealed bag on top shelf of fridge for at least 4 hours but no longer than 36 hours. (This step develops the crust's flavor.)

5. About an hour before you plan to serve the pizza, remove dough from fridge. Gently punch down dough, then round. Dough is now ready to use.

NOTE: (1) The mixing & kneading directions above are for a KitchenAid stand mixer. (2) The crust will be chewier if made with bread flour instead of with all-purpose flour.

Pizza:

1. Place dough on a greased (with shortening) & floured 14" round rimless perforated pizza pan. Cover; let rest for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 450 deg. F. Let dough rest for about 15 minutes while oven preheats. Prick entire surface of dough (except the built-up edge) all over with a fork, as you would to prebake a pie crust; generously brush top of dough (including the built-up edge) with olive oil.

3. Bake crust 12 minutes. Remove from oven (leave oven on); add desired toppings.

4. Put pizza back in oven & bake 8 more minutes, until cheese is melted & crust is golden brown. Remove from oven; cut into slices & serve.

Note: I prefer to spread the pasta sauce on the pizza in Step 2, after brushing the crust with olive oil but before baking the crust. I add the other toppings as instructed in Step 3, after removing crust from oven.

Tip about pepperoni; For a less greasy pizza, place the pepperoni between layers of paper towels & microwave on High for 30 seconds. The paper towels soak up the fat so that the pepperoni doesn't float in pools of orange grease on top of the pizza.

I also use this dough recipe to make Stromboli and Panini bread.