• Mix warm water with olive oil, yeast, salt, and sugar then use a sturdy spoon to gradually add flour to the bowl and combine until flour has hydrated and has formed into a clump of dough.
• At this point, wet your hand and use it to continue mixing the dough. My preferred method is to grab and squeeze the dough repeatedly until ingredients are fully incorporated and dough is homogenous.
• Cover the bowl with a lid and let it ferment at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Wet your hand again and perform a series of strength-building folds. To do this, grab a corner of the dough, stretch it out gently, and fold it back over itself. Repeat this process 4-5 times around the perimeter of the dough.
• After folding, flip the dough so the seams are underneath. Shape the dough into a tight ball by rounding and tucking the dough underneath to create surface tension on top. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 60 minutes.
• After the total fermentation time of 90 minutes, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Divide into four equal pieces, each weighing about 280g.
• Shape by folding the right and left sides into the center and pressing to create strength. Turn 90 degrees and repeat. Flip over onto those folds and roll into a ball to strengthen further.
• Spray a baking sheet tray with olive oil and place the pre-shaped dough balls on it. Cover and let them rest for 15 minutes.
• Preheat and pizza steel to 550℉ (285℃)
• To stretch the pizza, turn a dough ball out onto a lightly floured surface and stretch into a 10" round. Use your fingertips to press from the center out toward the edge. Then pick up the dough, letting gravity pull it down, flip and turn it on the back of your knuckles until you reach 10 inches.
• Dust a pizza peel with semolina then transfer the dough round to the peel. Sauce with a ladle of pizza sauce (leaving border for the crust), full fat mozzarella and toppings of your choice (I like pepperoni).
To make the pizza in a cast iron pan instead, press a dough ball into an oiled 12" cast iron skillet until it's about 8-10 inches in diameter. Let it rest covered for 10 minutes, then finish pressing out into the pan.
• Before loading pizza into the oven, gently stretch the pizza into approximately 12" on the peel. Shimmy the pizza to be sure it's not stuck to the peel. If it is, lift the edge where it's stuck and add more semolina to that spot.
• Bake on a pizza stone or steel in a preheated oven at 550°F (285°C) 9-10 minutes. Alternatively, bake for 10-12 minutes if baking in the cast iron.
• Pull pizza from the oven when the crust is golden brown and cheese is melted, bubbling, and beginning to brown. Cool on a wire rack for at least 60 seconds before cutting.

PIZZA SAUCE RECIPE:

This recipe makes enough for 4+ pizzas. I usually freeze half.
• Into a high sided container add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, sugar, basil, oregano, chili flake, garlic powder, and onion powder. Spin with immersion blender to break down until it's smooth, but still has texture.