INGREDIENTS:
For the Mass:
3¼ all-purpose flour cups
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1½ teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of sugar
2¼ teaspoons of instant yeast
1¼ cups of water, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon + 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
¼ cup grated onion
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoonful of sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil.
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Toppings:
1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated (about 4 cups)
(Pepperoni)
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
HOW TO DO IT:
Make the dough: Beat the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl.
Add water and melted butter and mix at low speed, using a dough hook, until completely combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is shiny and smooth and moves away from sides of bowl, 4 to 5 minutes. (This can easily be done by hand, mixing water and butter with a spatula and then kneading by hand.)
) Cover a large bowl with a teaspoon of olive oil. Using a greased spatula, transfer the dough to the bowl, turning to cover the dough with oil; cover well with plastic wrap. Allow to rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.
Make the sauce: As the dough rises, heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it melts. Add onion, oregano and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes and sugar, turn heat up, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to about 2½ cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Off the heat, add the basil and olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Roll out the dough: Turn the dough over a dry work surface and roll it into a 15×12-inch rectangle. Using a compensating spatula, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a border of ½ inches along the edges. Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. With the seam facing down, flatten the cylinder into an 18×4-inch rectangle.