1-3/4 cups warm water
1-1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
4-1/2 to 5 cups flour
3 tablespoons olive oil (plus oil for bowl as dough rises)
Cornmeal (to dust pizza pan)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Measure out 1-3/4 cups warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and allow it to activate, about 10 minutes.
Put the salt and 2 cups of the flour into a food processor. Pulse five times to blend. Pour in the yeast and water and pulse five more times. Add the olive oil. Add the remaining flour 1 cup at a time, pulsing and scraping the sides of the bowl until well blended. As soon as the mixture is combined, dump it out onto a well-floured board and knead for 15 turns, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a large, greased bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes), then punch it down. Divide it in half. (Each half will make one 12-inch pizza crust.)
Place on a cornmeal-dusted pizza stone, pizza pan or cookie sheet. Roll up edge slightly to create a ridge around the pizza. After topping as desired, bake until crust is light brown, approximately 15-18 minutes.
Note: If using only half of the dough, freeze the other half. Place the dough in a resealable freezer bag. To thaw, remove the bag from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Roll the dough out while cold then allow it to come to room temperature before adding toppings.