How To Make Pizza Dough

Grease a large bowl with cooking spray and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together lukewarm water and sugar, then sprinkle over yeast and let sit until frothy, about 8 minutes. In another large bowl, add flour, salt, and oil. Pour in yeast mixture, then mix with a wooden spoon until everything is combined and a shaggy dough begins to form. Knead against sides of bowl until dough starts to come together. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and sprinkle with more flour on top. Knead dough, adding more flour as necessary until it feels elastic and only slightly tacky, 5 minutes. Dough should still be slightly sticky.  Form into a tight ball, place into your oiled bowl, and cover with a clean dish towel. Let rise in a warm spot in your kitchen until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Gently punch down dough, then divide in half. Roll each half on your counter to form a tight ball. At this point, you can freeze one, or make two pizzas. Cover dough with a clean towel and let rest as you preheat oven to 500°, or at least 20 minutes.  Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil and sprinkle all over with half of the cornmeal. On a lightly floured surface, gently flatten one ball of dough and roll with a rolling pin (or stretch with your hands) until about 12” in diameter. If dough springs back, cover and let rest for 10 minutes, then roll out again.  Carefully transfer to prepared baking sheet and use your hands to reshape and stretch as needed. Brush dough all over with oil. Then, add your sauce to the middle of the dough and spread outwards with a spoon or ladle, leaving about 1” for the crust. Top with slices of fresh mozzarella. Bake until crust is golden and cheese is melty, 12 to 15 minutes. Top with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.