I love pizza but rarely eat it anymore because most places where you buy it make only thin crust. Growing up, my mother made the best pizza I have ever tasted, and it was just under an inch thick, but not at all heavy or doughy. It was very light and full of air holes with delicate seasonings.

When my sisters were both in town recently, I asked them to make pizza with Veronica because she only has had thin crust from commercial establishments. Not only did they have fun doing it, she found a new food to love - thick crusted but light pizza that can be used not only with a variety of toppings but folded over with cheese in the middle or fried with powdered sugar on top similar to what you buy at festivals and fairs from vendors.

Dough that has no topping but instead is folded over with a variety of fillings is sometimes called stromboli, and it has no sauce. My mother only put a really good imported provolone in the center but in most pizza parlors you can buy it with ham, cheese, peppers, pepperoni, prosciutto, greens, etc. to design your own unique sandwich.

Whenever we had our friends over when we were growing up, Mom would make two, three or four pans of pizza with different toppings. They might include peppers, mushrooms, anchovies, zucchini, ham, pepperoni, prosciutto, cheese and anything else she had handy. Since I grew up in Weedsport at a time when we were only one of three Italian families in town and there was no place where you could buy pizza without driving a good distance, our friends truly loved coming to our house for such a special treat.

Pizza is a quick dish that is inexpensive, yet fun to prepare and almost everyone enjoys this simple, healthy favorite. Here are two variations I hope you enjoy as much as we did growing up and still savor even now, many decades later.

Bob Leonardi, of Auburn, ran a successful restaurant business, catering, and gourmet food store in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for 15 years.

Cheese Pizza

Half recipe for pizza dough at right

1 pound provolone cheese cut 1/4-inch thick

1 tablespoon olive oil

Prepare pizza dough as outlined above and shape an amount big enough to cover the pan 1/2-inch thick. Place half the dough in an oiled 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Place sliced cheese on top of the dough. Cover with another piece of dough the same size as the bottom. Squeeze edges together to seal the cheese inside. Brush the top with olive oil. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Bake for 25 to 35 or 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Start checking after 25 minutes to see if it is lightly browned on both top and bottom. When done, cut into 3-inch or 4-inch pieces and enjoy.

Pizza Dough

1 package dry yeast

1 1/4 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

6 or 7 cups flour

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt Seasoned tomatoes:

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 clove garlic, finely diced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt Two of many optional toppings:

1/2 pound Mozzarella, coarsely grated

12 to 15 thin slices pepperoni

Pour 1/4 cup warm water into a bowl and sprinkle with yeast and sugar. Stir well. When the yeast mixture foams, add about a cup of the flour and mix well. If it doesn't foam, yeast is not active and should be discarded. Then add warm water, the oil, remaining flour and salt. Mix well, turn out of a floured board and knead until smooth. Rub the surface of the dough with a little oil and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.

Reserve a little of the warm water to make sure the dough is soft and a little sticky. If not, add more of the warm water as this produces a lighter dough. Knead this dough right in the bowl or pan. The less flour used the lighter the dough - but you have to experiment to get the right feel. You will know after making it a few times what you are looking for. Shaping the dough with your hands also makes the dough lighter. Mom never used a rolling pin for pizza dough - she just kept working the dough with the palm of her hands and shaping it until it fit the pan she was using. She would keep pressing it down and pushing the dough from the center to the edge until it stretched to fit the pan.

Divide dough into two pieces. Grease two 11 x 15 inch pans. Shape dough with hands to fit the pans. Cover and let rise a second time until almost double in bulk.

Cover risen dough with seasoned tomatoes. Bake in pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes - check every 5 minutes after 40 minutes to see how it is coming. When golden brown with a light crust is on the bottom, it is done. Remove from oven to serve as is or if desired, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices. Bake only until cheese is melted (about 5 more minutes) and serve.