Pizzeria Uno Pizza

Pizza Crust
2 packages quick rise dry yeast
2 cups tepid water (90 degrees F)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cornmeal
5 1/2 cups flour

In the bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the oils, cornmeal and 3 cups of the flour. Beat for l0 minutes with the mixer. Add the dough hook and mix in the additional 2 l/2 cups flour. Knead for several minutes with the machine. It is hard to do this by hand since the dough is very rich and moist. Pour the dough out on a plastic countertop and cover with a very large metal bowl. Allow to rise until double in bulk.

Punch down and allow to rise again. Punch down a second time and you are ready to make pizza. Oil round cake pans. Put a bit of dough in each and push it out to the edges, using your fingers. Put in enough dough so that you can run the crust right up the side of the pan. Make it about l/8 inch thick throughout the pan.

Filling for a 9- or 10-inch pan
1/3 pound sliced mozzarella cheese
2 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained and squished
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt, to taste
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping
3 tablespoons olive oil

Place the cheese in tile-like layers on the bottom of the pie. Next, put in the tomatoes and the basil, oregano, garlic, and salt, reserving the Parmesan cheese for the top. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the pizza, and they are ready to bake.

Additional variations
Before you put on the Parmesan cheese and olive oil drizzle you might like to add any or all of the following:

Italian Sausage - hot or mild
Yellow onions, peeled and diced
Pepperoni, sliced thin
Mushrooms, sliced
Green sweet bell peppers, cored and sliced thin

Put any or all of these on your pizza and then top with the Parmesan and the olive oil.

Bake the pizzas in a 475 degree F oven until the top is golden and gooey and the crust a light golden brown. This should take about 35 or 40 minutes.