Cornbread Pizza Crust (with Suggestion for Potato-Artichoke-Walnut topping)
About 30 years ago, I used to frequently order pizza from a little shop run by Hampshire College graduates - I can't remember the name of the shop, but I do remember their wonderful cornbread pizza crust. Peter mentioned it recently, and thought we should try to replicate it. His version is modified from Martha Stewart's recipe (http://www.marthastewart.com/313030/cornmeal-pizza-crust), adding more cornmeal and sugar for a more "corny" taste - it is delicious!
Combine 1 cup flour, cornmeal, salt, and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and add the yeast mixture and oil. Stir until dough comes together. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding more flour and / or a few tablespoons of water as needed. It will not feel as "springy" as regular wheat flour based dough. Divide dough into one or more balls. Oil a large bowl and place the dough ball(s) within, turning them to coat all surfaces with oil. Cover bowl and allow dough to rise one hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 420 degrees F. Pat dough into rounds (you may need to use a rolling pin), place on pan (grease pan if using cookie sheet; if using pizza stone, sprinkle with corn meal; do nothing if using perforated metal pizza pan). Bake crusts for 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Add topping (your choice, see suggestion below). Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until crust is crisp and browned. |
Optional Potato-Artichoke-Walnut ToppingIt took me a while to realize that you can really put anything you'd like on a pizza. My favorite topping for the original Hampshire College cornbread crust was potato and walnut - they thought it strange at first, but eventually must have tried it and liked it, because it ended up on their menu! :) If you'd like to try it, here are the ingredients - they're not measured, you should use your own judgment for amounts. But of course, you should put anything you'd like on your pizza! :)
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