Dough

• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¾ cup warm water (105-110° F)
• ¼ cup corn oil
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for work surface)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Sauce

• 1½ cups canned ground tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 tbsp grated Romano cheese

Toppings

• 5 oz (9-10 thin slices) part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella cheese
• 5 oz (9-10 thin slices) provolone cheese
• 2 oz pepperoni slices (about 24 slices)

Equipment

• instant-read thermometer
• 12" x 1½" deep dish pizza pan or cake pan

Make Dough

1. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast with water and sugar
2. Add the corn oil and blend. Add the flour and salt and mix thoroughly
3. [If dough seems too wet, add a bit more four, if too dry, add a bit more water]
4. If kneading by hand, knead for 7-8 minutes on a lightly-floured surface
5. [If using a stand mixer (with dough hook attachment), mix for 4 minutes at medium speed, until the dough is smooth and pliable]
6. Add olive oil to a deep bowl. Place the dough ball into the bowl and turn it twice to coat it with the oil
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel* and let dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Do not punch it down

Make Sauce

1. Once the dough has doubled in size, start the sauce. In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, oregano, basil and Romano cheese. Set aside

Assemble & Bake

1. Preheat oven to 475°
2. Spread and push the dough ball across the bottom of the pan and up the sides (the pan does not need to be oiled)
3. Lay the slices of mozzarella and provolone on top of the dough, overlapping the slices to cover all of the dough
4. Spread the tomato mixture evenly over the cheese
5. Dot the top of the tomatoes with the pepperoni
6. Bake 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown and pulls away from the sides of the pan
7. Remove from pan (it should lift out easily with two spatulas), slice and serve

*At this stage, the dough can be put in the refrigerator and allowed to rise slowly overnight. Take the dough out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you are ready to assemble the pizza