Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza Dough

1 To make the dough by hand: Begin by making a sponge. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup of the warm water. Add the sugar and ¼ cup of the flour and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup warm water and 3 cups flour, the cornmeal, salt, and ¼ cup olive oil. Using a wooden spoon, mix the dough, incorporating as much of the flour as possible. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes. It will still be a little sticky but shouldn’t stick to your hands. Add only a minimum amount of flour to the work surface to keep the dough from sticking. Lightly oil a large bowl. Add the dough and turn to coat on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place a clean, damp kitchen towel over the top.

To make the dough using a mixer: Begin by making a sponge. Fit a heavy-duty stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. In the mixer bowl, combine the yeast with ¼ cup of the warm water, then add the sugar and ¼ cup of the flour. Mix on low speed until combined. Place a clean, damp kitchen towel over the mixer to cover the bowl and let the sponge rise for 20 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup warm water and 3 cups flour, the cornmeal, salt, and ¼ cup olive oil. Mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated and the dough gathers together to form a coarse ball, about 4 minutes. Let rest for 2 minutes, then mix on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky, about 3 minutes longer. Even if the dough seems too sticky, turn the dough out on a well-floured work surface and knead for a minute or two until it forms a smooth ball, adding up to ¼ cup of additional flour, if necessary. Lightly oil a large bowl (or use the mixer bowl), add the dough, and turn to coat on all sides.

2 Set the bowl in a warm spot (a pilot-heated oven is a good spot, or an electric oven turned to 150°F for 5 minutes and then turned off). Let the dough rise until doubled in volume, 1½ to 2 hours. (For a slow rise, place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and let the dough rise for 10 to 12 hours. Bring the dough to room temperature before completing the final rise.)

3 When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down and knead it for 2 to 3 minutes. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of an oiled 14-inch round deep-dish pizza pan (see recipe introduction). Let the dough rise in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Press the dough until it comes 2 inches up the sides and is even on the bottom and at the corners of the pan. Proceed with any deep-dish pizza recipe.