TIPS FOR GREAT CRUSTS

Whether you're using homemade or commercially made dough, make sure that it's at room temperature when you work with it, which makes it easier to shape. The recipe here makes a chewy crust that's easy to prepare. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for several days or can be frozen for several months. Leftover dough also can be shaped into breadsticks and baked. For less dough, the recipe can be easily halved.

Plan ahead and keep crusts in the freezer this summer. They're handy to have ready for unexpected guests.

If you have a lot of pizza crusts to make, try doing separate batches on different days, which is how I made 100 pizza crusts. (By the last day, I was really fast.) Schedule the pizza-crust making to accommodate your other prep (that is, don't leave it to the last minute).