?? cornmeal crust for pizza

It sounds like you are talking about having some cornmeal in the dough. I have tried that, based on a recipe in "The Best Recipe" (Cooks Illustraged cookbook).

I used coarse groind polenta and it turned out pretty good, but want to try again with regular cornmeal.

Here is the recipe, with the cornmeal option at the end.

Pizza Dough with Jeff Varasano’s Kneading Techniques

The brown sugar helps the crust brown on the pizza stone.

3 cups bread flour (480 grams or 16.9 ounces)
1 cup semolina flour (160 grams or 5.6 ounces)
Note: Jeff says even regular flour for the whole amount is okay.
1 packet instant yeast (**)
1 tsp. salt (2 tsp if using Kosher salt)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 ¾ C warm water (414 grams or 14.6 ounces)
2 Tbsp veg oil.

Comments:

NOTE: This recipe makes a dough with 65% hydration. I think it is a little wet, especially with a long slow rise, so am planning to cut back to 60% next time (384 grams or 13 ounces).

Everything should be room temperature or a bit cooler.

Mix all the liquids plus the sugar in the bowl of your mixer.

Mix dry ingredients. Add ¾ of the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl. Mix on lowest speed for 1-2 minutes or until completely blended (I use the paddle for this stage). At this stage you should have a mix that is drier than a batter, but wetter than a dough.

Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.

The high moisture initiates a process called autolyse, which activates the gluten in the flour. This is the same technique used in the no knead bread recipe.

After the rest (don’t rush this and not harm letting it go longer), start mixing on low speed for 5 minutes – do not add remaining flour during this time (using paddle). Five minutes into the kneading, switch to the dough hook and start adding flour gradually and let it come together to a smooth dough.

At this point I divide the dough into two pieces and set it aside for the rise. This is perfect for two pizzas on the BGE pizza stone.

(**) If you are going to use on the day you make the dough, add the yeast as shown above. If you want to let the dough develop for one or more days in your refrigerator, cut back to ¼ - ½ teaspoon yeast.

This comes together with a single rise to 1 ½ - 2 times original size.

You should press/stretch the dough with your hands. Rolling the dough will collapse the air bubbles and you will get a less effective rise when you cook the pizza. On the other hand a rolled crust will be more like a cracker type crust.

Cornmeal version: replace ¾ cup (120 grams) flour with ¾ cup cornmeal. This tasted really good and I need to work with it again!

I always cook mine on parchment – even when cooking at 700! For me the dough is easier to handle and you can press out the dough, ahead of time, on the parchment rounds.