How Dough I Know?

A lot of people write me and say that they are afraid of working with fresh pizza dough. There are three main questions they have and each has a simple answer.

1. How long to knead the dough?
   You should only knead the dough until the flour is well blended. During blending, the dough ball will become firmer and when it feels the slightest bit tough, stop.
2. How long should it rise?
   I place the dough ball in a bowl and put this into a sink with warm water in the bottom. The dough will double in size in about 30 – 40 minutes. Punch it down gently with your fingers and let it rise another 30 minutes.
3. What kind of yeast should I use?
   I use the yeast powder from the grocery store. This is usually labeled Active Dry Yeast or Bread Machine Yeast.