Cornmeal Pizza Dough

Step 1

Combine all of the pizza dough ingredients - flour, cornmeal, yeast, olive oil, butter, and 1 cup + 2 tablespoon water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Step 2

Mix on medium until the dough comes together in a smooth ball, 6 to 8 minutes. (You can also mix the dough ingredients in a bowl and knead them by hand.) (Note: The dough will be sticky at first but try to resist adding more flour. If necessary, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading well between additions.)

Step 3

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl.

Step 4

Cover with a dish towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Step 5

Set out two 8-inch pans (square bakers, round cake pans, or cast iron skillets will work; you can also make one large pizza in a 14-inch deep dish pizza pan or skillet).

Step 6

Pour a generous amount of olive oil (about 2 to 3 tablespoons for an 8-inch pan) into the dish and swirl it around to coat the bottom and sides.

Step 7

Divide the dough in two and, working with one section of dough at a time, stretch it out with your palms to roughly the size of the plan.

Step 8

Transfer the dough to the pan and again use your palms to stretch it out to the sides of the pan.

Step 9

Cover with a dishtowel and let the dough rest for another 15 minutes while the oven heats.

Step 10

Heat oven to 425°F.

Step 11

When oven is heated, bake the crust for 10 minutes until starting to brown around the edges. (At this point, you can cool the crust and freeze it for topping and baking later.)

Step 12

Add sauce and your favorite toppings.

Step 13

Return pizza to oven and bake until cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Step 14

Allow pizza to cool for 5 minutes before transferring it to a cutting board.

Step 15

Allow it to cool for 5 minutes more (this will make it easier to slice). Slice and serve!