Guess what, not everyone knows that you need good quality pizza dough to make good pizza. I am talking about pizza at home. The realization came when a friend of mine was entertaining some adults and kids with homemade pizzas. They chopped fresh mushrooms, peppers, and onions, grilled some sausage and shredded the mozzarella. I watched while this was happening and was quite pleased at the idea of eating fresh homemade pizzas. Then, in an instant, all hope was dashed. From the pantry came the pre-made cardboard pizza crust. Needless to say, the pizza was all right --- but not nearly as good as pizza made at home using fresh dough.

OK -- here's what you should know about me. I am a snobbish in the following categories: coffee, wine, cigars, and now, after professing my disdain for ready-made pizza shells, you know that I am a pizza snob.

Here's my three-step remedy for the ready-made pizza shell habit:

Step One:
Throw out your cardboard crusts and head for the closest Portland Pie. This jewel of a pizza restaurant has three locations: Portland on Middle St., So Po on Main St., and in Westbrook, also on Main St. Walk into any of these locations and complete your cardboard crust liberation by demanding your right to freshly made pizza dough. Portland Pie sells dough balls in large and small. A large costs two bucks and a small is just a buck fifty. Their dough recipes are beer, garlic, wheat and original (it has specks of basil). I love them all, but the beer is the favorite at my house.

Step Two:
Return home and start baking -- using raw dough is easy. Preheat your oven to 450. Use the same baking pan you use for your pre-made crusts. Flatten out the dough with a rolling pin or use your hands to flatten it. Add the sauce and other delicious toppings. Pop it into the oven. Within minutes you will smell the difference that fresh dough makes. Then ten minutes later, you will taste the difference.

Step Three:
Fight the desire to return to the pre-made pizza shell hapit by keeping it fun and constantly refining your pizza making style. An easy first option is to add a pizza stone and paddle to your kitchen. Another good move is to visit Miccuci's on India St once in a while, to stock your pantry. And don't forget the cheese -- oh the luscious cheese. Ask the great folks there for help choosing alternates to mozzarella.

A Doughy Side Note:
I recently made another dough discovery worth mentioning. I found fresh pasta at Whole Foods Market in Portland. Amazing quality stuff. I purchased the Fresh Lasagna Sheets. That night at home we made the most delicious lasagna I have ever eaten. Layers of this fresh dough, fresh mozzarella, pesto, sweet Italian sausage and artichokes. It makes my mouth water to even think about it.

Anyway, using fresh dough is quick and easy, and it's, well, fresh. The number one reason to use fresh dough is the flavor. Pizzas and pastas made with fresh dough simply taste better.

Cheers!

(If you have your place for fresh dough, I invite you to tell me about it. I would love to broaden my doughy horizon.)