4 tsp dry active yeast
2 tsp sugar
~3 1/2 cups flour (you can sub up to half whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 1/2 tsp salt
olive oil, for brushing crust
cornmeal, for dusting surface
Place water and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and sprinkle the yeast over top. Let stand for 10 minutes until frothy then add the salt, and most of the flour. With the mixer on low, mix until the dough comes together and mostly off the sides of the bowl (it will not come all the way off of the bottom). Add flour a little at a time to get it to the right consistency. Let the mixer run for 5 minutes to knead the dough. It'll be smooth and slightly sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide in half and shape into a balls. Lightly dust a plate with flour and place the balls of dough on top, seam-down. Cover with a kitchen towel (I often spray the towel with a little water so it doesn't dry out) and let rise 1 hour.
Prepare your pizza pan by sprinkling some cornmeal on it. Then, gently stretch the dough into a round - I hold one edge of the dough ball a couple of inches above my work surface and let gravity do most of the work, while I move my hands around the edge of the dough (like turning a steering wheel). Place the dough onto the pan and brush the outside perimeter with olive oil and then top as desired.
Bake in a 500ยบ oven for about 12-14 minutes.
