Deep Dish Pizza No. 1

Dough
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1 1/2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105-115F)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup warm water

Topping
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1 28 oz. can italian plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 teaspoons fresh basil
1 teaspoon oregano
salt to taste
10 ouncese mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil

Dough: Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. Add the sugar and stir well. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, salt, and cornmeal. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the yeast mixture, the vegetable oil, and the 1/2 cup water. Stir and mix thoroughly until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and a rough mass is formed.

Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured work surface. Knead and pound the dough (dust with flour if the dough sticks to your hands) for 5-6 minutes until it is smooth and soft. Dust the dough and a large mixing bowl with lightly with flour. Place the dough in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

After the dough has doubled in bulk, turn it out of the bowl and knead it for about 2 minutes. Oil the bottom and sides of the pizza pan. Spread the dough in the pan with your fingers and palm. (It will spread more easily if you let it sit in the pan for about 10 minutes.) Work the dough until it covers the bottom of the pan. Pull the edges of the dough up to form a lip or a pronounced border all around the pan. Preheat the oven to 475 F. Prick the dough bottom with a fork at 1/2-inch intervals and parbake the crust for exactly 4 minutes in the preheated oven. Brush the crust lightly with olive oil.

Topping: In a 2- to 3-quart mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, oregano, and salt. Set aside.

To assemble and bake: Lay the slices of mozzarella cheese evenly over the crust (not the border.) Spoon the tomatoes over the cheese. Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the tomatoes. Next, add the other toppings, whatever they might be. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Bake the pizza in a preheated 475F oven on the bottom rack for 5 minutes; move the pizza to an oven rack 2 slots above the lower rack and bake an additional 30 minutes, until crust is lightly browned and the toppings are cooked through.

Notes From The Book:
If using canned plum tomatoes, drain off all the liquid, put the tomatoes into a mixing bowl, crush them with your hand, and add the seasonings.
Baking the pizza for 4 minutes on the lowest oven rack assures a better crust bottom. Parbaking the crust is necessary to give the dough its initial spring; otherwise, the weight of the cheese and tomatoes will compact the dough and cause it to be too heavy.