• Add all the dry ingredients (the all-purpose flour, instant yeast, sugar & sea salt) to a large bowl and stir to evenly distribute.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the water & the olive oil.
• Using a spatula, mix until the dough just comes together. It will be lumpy and sticky. This is fine. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and allow to rest in a relatively warm place for 30 minutes. I usually opt for my oven (switched off) with a bowl of hot water next to it.

Stretch & Fold the Pizza Dough

• After allowing the dough to rest, complete the first stretch and fold. Wet your hand with room temperature water before handling the dough to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Reach under the dough, pinching it between your thumb and other 4 fingers to pull it upward, stretching it in the process. Pull it across, tucking it into the other side directly across from where the dough was pulled.  Repeat this 4-6 more times pulling from different sections of the dough until the dough begins to form into a ball.
• Cover the pizza dough and allow it to rest again for 30 minutes in a warm area.
• Repeat the stretch and fold process a second time allowing the dough to rest covered for another 30 minutes after the second fold.
• Complete a third stretch & fold and allow it to rest & rise covered for 2 hours. If preparing the pizza dough to use the next day immediately cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or preferably a lid on an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 12 hours before use.

Baking the Pizza Dough Without a Pizza Stone

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Dust a heavy pan liberally with equal parts cornmeal and flour and turn out the risen dough onto the pan. The dough will appear stringy and may stick to the bowl. This is fine, just use a dough scraper to get it all off from the sides of the bowl.
• Using your hands, pull the dough, stretching and shaping it into a circle. For a thinner crust, stretch the dough to about 14 inches. If you prefer a thicker crust, stretch the dough to about a 12-inch circle. Avoid using a rolling pin to shape or flatten the dough as this will also eliminate the bubbles which is what gives this pizza dough its airy crumb.
• Add the toppings of your choice.
• Bake on the middle rack for 15-30 minutes until the edges are golden brown with a couple blistered dark brown spots.

Baking the Pizza Dough With a Pizza Stone

• Preheat the pizza stone in the oven for 40 minutes at 475°F.
• Once the dough has completely risen turn the dough ball out onto a flat surface dusted with equal parts cornmeal and flour. The dough will appear stringy and may stick to the bowl. This is fine, just use a dough scraper to get it all off from the sides of the bowl.
• Using your hands, pull the dough, stretching and shaping it into a circle. For a thin crust, stretch the dough to about 14 inches. For a thicker crust, stretch the dough to about a 12-inch circle.
• Add your toppings as desired.
• Using a pizza peel, transfer the assembled pizza to the preheated pizza stone in the oven and bake for 10-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown with a couple blistered dark brown spots.