Cornmeal Pizza Crust Recipes

CORNMEAL PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water. Let stand until yeast is dissolved and mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Combine flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the yeast mixture and oil. Slowly stir ingredients with a wooden spoon just until dough starts to come together. Turn out dough on a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into four 4-ounce balls. Place balls in a shallow oiled bowl, turning to coat with oil; cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone on lowest rack. Stretch dough into 6- or 7-inch rounds. Sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel or inverted baking sheet. Place dough rounds on top, and cover with toppings, as desired.
• Slide rounds onto pizza stone, and bake until crust is crisp and golden and toppings are bubbling, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven; serve immediately.

CORNMEAL PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Stir warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Brush a large bowl with oil, and set aside.
• Stir together the flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and the oil; stir mixture until all of the flour-mixture is incorporated. Continue to stir until a stiff dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead with floured hands, dusting with as little flour as possible if dough seems sticky, just until the ball becomes smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Reshape the dough into a ball. (Alternatively, pour 5 cups all-purpose flour, cornmeal, the salt, yeast mixture, and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until dough is smooth and slightly sticky to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. If dough seems too sticky, add up to 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing after each addition. Knead 4 or 5 turns on a clean work surface to form a ball.)
• Place dough in oiled bowl, smooth side up. Tightly cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
• Remove plastic wrap; punch down dough. Fold dough back onto itself 4 or 5 times; leave smooth side up. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise again until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Punch down dough, and transfer to a clean work surface. Cut dough with a bench scraper or knife into sixths. Knead each piece 4 or 5 turns to form a ball. Cover all but one with plastic wrap.
• On a lightly floured work surface, flatten remaining dough ball into a disk. Loosely cover with plastic wrap; let rest 5 minutes. Using a rolling pin or your fingertips, flatten and push dough evenly out from center to form a 9-inch circle (or a 7-by-11-inch rectangle or rough oval).
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and sprinkle with flour. Place dough on top. Cover with another sheet of parchment, and sprinkle with flour. Roll out and stack remaining dough balls.
• Wrap baking sheet with plastic wrap; refrigerate pizza dough until ready to use, up to 1 day.

CORNMEAL PIZZA CRUST

Steps:

• Fit the kneaded blade on a heavy-duty mixer.
• Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup water with 1 teaspoon sugar until foamy (about 8 minutes).
• In the stainless steel bowl place 5 cups flour, salt, sugar, oil and cornmeal.
• When the yeast is proofed, add to the bowl along with 1-1/2 cups warm water; start kneading adding in more flour as needed to create a soft smooth dough.
• After the kneading is finished, let the dough rest in the bowl for 8-10 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and shape in a ball.
• Place into a well greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Punch down dough and let rest for 10 minutes before shaping (this is important, the dough must rest for 10 minutes).
• Roll out the dough into two 16-inch circles.
• Place into lightly greased pizza pans.
• Top as desired.
• Bake in a 400 degree oven until lightly golden brown (about 15-20 minutes).

QUICK CORNMEAL PIZZA CRUST (GLUTEN-FREE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare two 10-inch squares of parchment paper.
• Whisk together the oat flour, cornmeal, almond flour, ground flaxseed, baking powder, salt, and cumin (if using) in a large bowl.
• Add the milk and lime juice, and knead lightly with your hands until the mixture forms a stringy but not sticky dough. Divide the dough into two rounds.
• To make the pizza crusts, lay one parchment square on a clean work surface, and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place one round of dough on the parchment square, sprinkle it with more cornmeal, and roll it out to a 6-inch disk with a rolling pin. (The rolled-out dough should be about ⅛ inch thick.) Gently push around the edges of the dough with your hands to build up a slight edge, if desired. Slide the parchment and dough disk onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Lightly brush the tops of the crusts with milk using a pastry brush or a small spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top of the crust(s) is dry and crisp.
• Top the crusts with your desired pizza sauce and toppings. Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and cooked through.

CORNMEAL/POLENTA CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 425
• 2. spray two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans with nonfat cooking spray
• 3. Line the bottoms of each pan with circles of parchment paper
• 4. To make polenta, put the water, cornmeal, salt, and seasonings into a large microwavable casserole dish or 1-quart measure.
• 5. Cook at full power for 4 minutes
• 6. Stir well and cook again at high power for 2 more minutes
• 7. Stir again and cook at high power for another 2 minutes.
• 8. Remove from the microwave, stir in the olive oil, and beat with a spoon until completely smooth
• 9. Spread the polenta evenly in the bottom of the two pans
• 10. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 12 minutes
• 11. While the crust is cooking, prepare your toppings
• 12. Sauté the vegetables lightly in a non-stick pan until onion begins to soften
• 13. After 12 minutes, take the crusts out of the oven and invert them onto a large baking sheet, side by side.
• 14. They should fall right out of the pan with the parchment paper stuck to them. Peel away the parchment.
• 15. Spread each crust with pizza sauce (don't use too much or they will be soggy) and top with veggies and vegan sausage
• 16. Sprinkle with chopped garlic.
• 17. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes, until toppings look done.
• 18. Lift off the baking sheet carefully using a large spatula and your hand--they are not sturdy like regular pizza, so be careful not to let your toppings slide off.
• 19. Cut into fourths and serve..Enjoy