When I was a sophomore in college, I went to France on an exchange program through my university. I was going to study French language and culture. It was supposed to be fabulously romantic. I thought I would come back in a sexy black beret and be fluent in French. Or, maybe I thought I wouldn’t come back at all.

Sadly, those were merely dreams.

I did not achieve fashion greatness. It was not romantic. I was too hungry.

It’s true. I was very very hungry.

My initial glee at being placed in a chic apartment in the center of town was short lived. My “house mother” was rarely there. When she was around, she was cruel and rationed out the food sparingly. I was given one loaf of bread a week.

Of course, one loaf of bread was not enough. In fact, it was laughable. I was starving all the time. I used to get up in the middle of the night and sneak into the kitchen in my socks. There, I would nab a slice of bread and a glob of tasty honey. I ate those secret slices in such a frenzy. I still feel the pangs.

So much for the French foodie experience.

I lost 30 lbs. in France.

There was another girl on the trip named C. Like me, she liked to eat. Unlike me, she did not lose 30 lbs. And, even more unlike me, her pockets were lined with cash which she could use to spend on food.

C, however, didn’t spend money on the glorious food available for purchase. She didn’t eat fancy cheese or quiche in the shops on the street.

C ate only one thing. She ate pizza. C ate pizza everyday. When lunch hour struck, she always headed in the same direction. They even knew her name in the pizzeria below my chic apartment.

We used to make fun of C. Had she no shame? How can you be in France and fill up on pizza everyday?! How is this possible?

Looking back, I think my jibes were born of hunger and maybe a little jealousy. After all, C must have felt pretty good knowing exactly what she wanted everyday. And, if I’d had any money in France, I might have joined her (at least, occasionally) at the pizzeria.

I feel pretty bad about C. She ate alone most of the time. She was not alone in her passion for those special pies, however. Pizza is my dessert island food too. I love it. I love it a lot. I love it with pesto. I love it with meat. I love it with fresh arugula and a fried egg on top.

I feel liberated having admitted that. Now, I must also admit to my quiet quest for the perfect crust for my precious pies. In the last few years, I tried many many crusts. Many were good. Some were merely O.K. Last night, however, I struck gold.

This crust is fantastic. No cardboard here. This crust is flavorful, moist and crisps up nicely. It’s not full of herbs or ostentatious in its flavors. This crust is subtle and perfectly compliments the ingredients you slather on top.

K says a pizza is all about the sauce, but I believe it’s also a lot about the crust. I wonder what C would say?

Enjoy. I’m also including my recipe for the sauce. I think it worked out fabulously, but I will let you be the judge.

Pizza Dough (adapted from Mark Bittman)

1/2 packet active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 to 1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
Semolina flour (if you have it on hand) as needed
Pinch of sugar

Activate the yeast using about a 1/2 cup warm water and the pinch of sugar. Add together and let sit until bubbles form. Combine the yeast, flour and 2 teaspoons salt in a bowl. Begin mixing and add the remaining 1/2 cup water and olive oil. Continue mixing until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky. If it is too dry, add water a very little at a time until it acquires the desired consistency.

Turn the dough onto a work surface floured with the semolina and knead a few seconds. grease a bowl with the remaining olive oil, and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 to 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto your floured surface and (literally) punch it several times. Divide it into desired portions and roll into pizzas. Brush the dough with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper before adding the toppings, and spread oil on the surface of the sheet pan. Bake at 500 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until crust browns.

Pizza Sauce

1 28 oz. can of tomato puree
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tblsp. olive oil
1 tsp Mexican oregano (dried)
1 tsp dried red chili flakes
2 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
sea salt to taste

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before adding the rest of the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and let the mixture cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.