| 4 | cups warm water |
| 1 | tablespoon active dry yeast |
| 1 | teaspoon granulated sugar |
| 6 | cups all purpose flour plus a little extra for rolling |
| Oil (for the bowl) | |
| Cornmeal (for sprinkling) |
1. Place water in a large bowl and sprinkle in yeast and sugar. The sugar helps activate the yeast, so don’t skip this step. You can use honey or agave if preferred over sugar.
2. Let the mixture sit for 20 to 30 minutes until a foam has formed on the water. Transfer to an electric mixer or large mixing bowl. Add the flour and mix on low speed or by hand until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Transfer dough into a large bowl coated with oil.
4. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm space to rise. (Pro tip: In the winter, heat the oven to 170 degrees and leave the bowl on the range to warm it.)
5. The dough will double in size, and at this point turn it out onto a well-floured surface and roll small balls of the dough into desired crust size. Roll a size slightly smaller than the pan intended to cook the pizza on and then sprinkle the pan with cornmeal before cooking.
6. Top with sauce (store-bought or homemade), cheese, and whatever else your kiddo likes to eat as a topping. Bake in an oven heated to 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
Adapted from Sean MacAlpine of The Lenox Hotel