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1
Mix yeast with warm water and salt and stir.
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2
Combine wet ingredients (water with yeast, oil, beer/water) with garlic or basil and Parmesan cheese if using.
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3
Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well until dough pulls together.
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4
Knead until dough is silky smooth, adding flour until it does not stick to your hands. You want the dough to be moist and pliable but not too sticky.
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5
Let dough rise until nearly doubled in size and punch down. Ideally do this several times to increase the pliability of the dough and flavor of the crust.
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6
When you are ready to make pizzas, preheat the oven to 500 (550 ideally if possible) with baking stone on bottom rack (any floor tile will do well).
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7
Punch down the dough and pull off a piece of dough about the size of your fist. Sprinkle the area you will roll out the dough with cornmeal and a small amount of flour and roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. If you have the skills for it--toss the dough in the air.
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8
Prick holes in the pizza with a fork all over.
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9
Add toppings and slide into oven, making sure pizza peel (back of a cookie sheet will work) is very well covered in cornmeal so the pizza will easily slide off onto the baking stone.
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10
Bake for 5-7 minutes until cheese is bubbling and edges are crispy.
