Dissolve sugar in water and add yeast. Stir gently until disssolved (about 1 minute). Let stand until the yeast foams slightly
(about 5 minutes) to insure that the yeast is effective. Combine 3 cups of the flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast
mixture and oil if you are using it. Begin kneading the mixture, gradually adding enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour so that the dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic (another 10−15 minutes by hand). Shape dough into a ball and put in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it with the oil.
Let rise until doubled in bulk (45 minutes to 1−1/2 hours, depending on the yeast and the temperature). Punch down the dough and shape into 1 or 2 pieces. The entire recipe will make two 12 inch pizzas. Shape the dough either by hand or with a rolling pin, stretching out
as necessary to achieve a thin dough. For a lighter crust, let the dough sit for a half hour after shaping before constructing pizzaand baking.
