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1
OLD SCHOOL METHOD: Mix the yeast and water together in a large mixing bowl with a fork until totally dissolved.
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2
Blend in 1 cup of flour, and all the cornmeal, salt, and oil. Mix well with a large spoon.
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3
Continue stirring in the rest of the flour in 1/2-cup increments until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl.
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4
Put some flour on your hands and knead the dough until it is no longer sticky, about 5-10 minutes.
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5
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm, dry, draft-free area for 45-60 minutes to rise until doubled.
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6
Punch it down and knead briefly. Go to Step #8. Didn't want to do all that just to have another rise later? Check out the bread machine instructions!
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7
BREAD MACHINE INSTRUCTIONS: Put all the ingredients into your bread machine according to your manfacturer's directions and do a 1.5-lb or 2-lb dough cycle, kick back and let it do its work.
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8
Press the dough into an oiled 15-inch deep dish pan. Let it rise for another 20 minutes before pre-baking.
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9
After the rise in the pan is finished, bake at 450F for 10 minutes. Then add the sauce, cheese, toppings, etc, and whatever else you like and bake at 400F according to how much you put on (ie, meat toppings require longer.) I like cheese and veggie toppings which only take about 15-20 minutes, then turn on the broiler for 5 minutes to get a nice crispy edge and cheesy crunch.
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10
Don't have a deep-dish pan? Can probably split this up among casserole dishes and large pie pans.
