Thick Crust Pizza Dough
(Makes 4 thick crust or 6 regular crust 13” pizzas)

This recipe came from the Anchorage Times on November 28, 1976 and is the BEST.  It has become a family favorite for us in Juneau and we've had many, many pizza parties over the years.  We just invite friends and ask them to bring their favorite topping and a package of cheese. (If we’re doing a BIG group I just go buy a Costco size package of shredded cheese instead.)  It is great for an interactive party—just put out the rolling pin and let everyone roll their own crust and put on their favorite ingredients.  Then they watch it cook and maybe share with others after they get the first piece!  You can double the recipe for 12 pizzas or even triple it for about 18.  We’ve done lots of times.

½ cup butter or margarine
2½ cups milk
5½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal an extra for sprinkling
3 Tbsp. sugar 1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs, beaten
2-3 cups all-purpose flour
olive oil or vegetable oil

Place butter and milk in medium saucepan.  Heat to scalding, stirring occasionally; remove from heat and cool to 115°.  Mix 5 ½ cups flour, ½ cup cornmeal, sugar, yeast, and salt in large bowl.  Stir in cooled milk; add eggs.  Add enough of the remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. 

Turn dough onto lightly floured board.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes.  Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up and cover.  Let rise in warm place until double, about 1½ hours; punch down dough.  Let rise covered until double, about one hour.

Sprinkle a little bit of extra cornmeal on a pizza brick (or grease other pizza pan).  Pull off enough dough to roll out to the desired thickness.  We usually make medium to thick crust—this will make about 6 pizzas that size.  Then spread with pizza sauce (or spaghetti sauce) and top with your favorite pizza toppings.  Bake in 400° oven for about 20-25 minutes or until crust is done.  Just watch the pizza go!  Suggested toppings include: pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, burger, ham, chicken, garlic, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, pineapple, etc.