Homemade Artisan Pizza

Step 1

Mix dry ingredients together in mixer using only 2 cups flour. Pour all wet ingredients in and mix until combined. Add other flour gradually until dough forms a ball while mixing and pulls away from the sides, leaving a clean mixing bowl. Mix in mixer or knead by hand for 10 minutes. Dough should be stretchy and soft, but not  sticky. Put dough in oiled glass bowl, turning to coat…..this keeps it from drying out. Cover with plastic and let stand for 20 minutes. (The dough can sit out on your counter and proof for 2 hours if you want to make it ahead)

Step 2

Divide pizza dough into 5 balls. Roll out dough on a generous amount of corn meal. Roll dough as thin as possible…like the thickness of a thick flour tortilla. Sprinkle a pizza peal or flat cookie sheet with corn meal and place pizza crust on top. The crust should slide easily on the cookie sheet/pizza peal. Add sauce and favorite toppings.

Step 3

To slide prepared pizza off of cookie sheet onto HOT pizza stone…..Place the pizza paddle/cookie sheet as far back on the pizza stone as you can reach. Slide the pizza onto the stone using short quick strokes. The pizza will slide off a little at a time until the whole thing is on the stone. Bake for 7 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Voila! You have SERIOUSLY YUM PIZZA! The crust is crispy on the bottom and chewy on top!