Add the yeast and the sugar to the warm water approximately 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Combine the of flour, and salt in a large bowl. If desired, add garlic powder at this point as well.

Then add the olive oil and warm water mixture to the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir well very well.

Sometimes, it is necessary to add as much as an 1/3 additional cup of flour. You will know when the dough has the correct amount of liquid when the dough is forming an elastic ball and beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl. However, the dough will still be a bit sticky yet.

In a separate large, clean bowl, brush with olive oil. I have also used spray oil for this, and it has worked out well.

Using your hands, form the dough into a round ball and transfer to the bowl that has been brushed with oil. Hint: lightly dust your hands to minimize the dough sticking.

Roll the ball around in the bowl a bit to coat it with the oil. Cover with a plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 30-60 minutes (until doubled in size). If you are making this pizza dough and your house is not warm enough, heat up the oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, turn the oven off and place the dough in the oven to let it rise.

When the dough has doubled in size, it is ready to use for making pizza. At this point, you could also store in refrigerator or freezer for later too.

Deflate the dough and roll out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 3-5 minutes until it is smooth.

Use your hands or a rolling pin, or both to shape into a 12-inch circle or rectangle for a baking sheet.

Transfer dough to a parchment paper lined pizza pan or a pan sprayed with oil. Sometimes I do a bit of reshaping at this point and brush on some olive oil

Poke the crust with a fork about one inch apart. Then pre-bake the crust in a preheated 425-degree oven for 10 minutes. I like to do this for a crispier crust. If you are not a fan of crispy crust, you can skip this part.

Add the sauce and toppings to the crust and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately another 15 minutes. Until the toppings are baked, and the cheese is all melty.