Deep Dish Pizza

Instructions

Stir the yeast into the first measure of warm water in a mixing bowl and leave it for a few minutes, until the yeast has woken up.

Beat in the first cup of flour, the olive oil, sugar and salt to make a smooth batter. Add the remaining flour and water and mix to a slightly sticky dough, adjusting with a little more water or flour if needed. Knead until the dough springs back slightly when you press it.

Put the dough in a greased bowl and leave it somewhere warm until it has doubled in size, then punch it down.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape it to fit your pizza pan, pushing it up the sides to form a raised edge. Keep it thick for a deep dish crust, or roll it thinner if you want a crisper, more traditional base. Dusting the pan with cornmeal is optional.

Heat the oven to 425 °F (218 °C).

Spread the pizza sauce over the dough and leave the edge bare. Add any toppings you like, such as pepperoni, sausage or green pepper, then scatter the mozzarella evenly over the top, again keeping it off the edge. Finish with Parmesan and Romano if using.

Bake on a rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust and cheese are lightly browned. If the outer crust colors before the middle does, which mostly happens on pizzas of 40 cm (16 in) or more, wrap the edge in aluminum foil.

Cut the pizza into about 8 triangular slices as soon as it comes out of the oven. A wheel pizza cutter does this neatly.