Ingredients

Dough

• 4.5 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 0.25 cup olive oil
• 1.75 cups amber ale (foam dissipated)

Assembly

• Cornmeal (for dusting)
• 1 egg yolk
• 0.5 tablespoon water
• Desired toppings

Instructions

Make the Dough

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt and instant yeast until combined. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix in the oil and beer on a low speed until everything combines and forms a shaggy dough. If mixing by hand, lightly oil a wooden spoon and mix until you get that shaggy dough.
2. For those using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead on speed two for about five minutes to create a smooth, elastic, tacky dough. If kneading by hand, turn the dough into a ball shape onto a floured surface. Fold the dough in half and push down with the heels of your hands. Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat until it becomes smooth, elastic and tacky. This should take about seven minutes.
3. On a floured surface, divide the dough into five even pieces. Each piece should be about ½ pound of dough. Round each piece into a ball.

First Rise (If Baking Right Away)

1. Place in a mixing bowl, tightly cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm spot until about doubled in size, approximately an hour. After rising, proceed to the shaping step.

Make-Ahead Option

1. Wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator at least overnight or up to three days for best results.
2. Freeze the balls you don't use in a freezer-safe zipper bag with the plastic wrap.
3. Two hours from when you plan to bake the pizza, remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and place on a floured surface and gently press into a 5-inch flat circle. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for two hours to come to room temperature.

Prepare to Bake

1. About 45-60 minutes before baking the pizza, place a pizza stone in a cold oven and set the oven to 500 degrees. You want to heat the pizza stone with the oven to prevent cracking. If you don't have a pizza stone, turn a large baking sheet upside-down and use that as your baking surface. For the baking sheet, preheat in the oven for only 30 minutes.

Shape and Top

1. Hand stretch the dough using the bed of your fingers rather than your finger tips to pat the dough outwards toward the edge. Don't pat in the center of the dough, or you'll get limp pizza. Really focus on staying outside of the center and work toward the edge.
2. After you work the dough, grab the edge of the pizza and lift it in the air. Allow it to quickly hang down and keep rotating the pizza crust through your fingers to allow the rest of the pizza to have a chance to hang. Do not use a rolling pin to shape and flatten. The dough is stretched when it's 10 inches in diameter. If any holes form, pinch the dough back together.
3. Coat a pizza peel or the back of a parchment paper-covered baking sheet with cornmeal and place the hand-stretched dough on top. Adjust the shape if necessary. Add desired toppings.
4. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and water and brush onto the crust.

Bake

1. If using a pizza peel, slide the pizza onto the stone and bake for eight to 10 minutes.
2. If using a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, pull out the oven rack to make the baking sheet even with the pizza stone. Grab the edge of the parchment paper and smoothly glide the pizza over to the stone and bake it for two minutes. After two minutes, remove the parchment paper and bake for another six to eight minutes.
3. When the crust is perfectly browned, remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Let the pizza sit for three to five minutes to set and cool, then cut and enjoy!

Notes

• The beer adds a subtle depth of flavor and helps with rise and texture.
• This dough freezes beautifully, so you'll always have pizza dough on hand for impromptu pizza nights.
• For best results with make-ahead dough, refrigerate at least overnight or up to three days.
• The fermentation time develops better flavor—don't rush it.