INGREDIENTS:
For the Dough:
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1¼ cups 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 unsalted butter
- ¼ cup grated onion
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Toppings:
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese shredded (about 4 cups)
- (Pepperoni)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Make the Dough: Whisk together the flour cornmeal salt sugar and yeast in a large bowl.
Add water and melted butter and mix on low speed using a dough hook until fully combined 1 to 2 minutes scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth and pulls away from sides of the bowl 4 to 5 minutes. (You can easily make this by hand mixing in the water and butter with a spatula and then kneading by hand.)
Coat a large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Using a greased spatula transfer the dough to the bowl turning to coat the dough in oil; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume 45 to 60 minutes.
Make the Sauce: While dough rises heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion oregano and salt; cook stirring occasionally until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.
Stir in tomatoes and sugar increase heat to high and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to about 2½ cups 25 to 30 minutes. Off the heat stir in the basil and olive oil then season with salt and pepper.
Laminate the Dough: Turn the dough out onto dry work surface and roll into a 15×12-inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough leaving a ½-inch border along the edges. Starting at the short end roll the dough into a tight cylinder. With seam side down flatten the cylinder into an 18×4-inch rectangle.