If using a food processor: Add the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast to a food processor bowl fitted with a dough blade. Pulse until combined. Take a silicone spatula or spoon and nudge a trench along the outer edges of the bowl. Add the oil and water to the trench. Process until the dough begins to ride the blade, then count to 30 and stop the machine. If the dough is too dry to ball, squirt 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of water at a time into the bowl until it comes together. 

If using a stand mixer: Add the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast into a mixing bowl attached with a dough hook. With the machine running at a low speed, slowly pour in the water until absorbed by the flour (this can take a few minutes). If the dough stays too dry to ball, add ½ teaspoon (2 grams) of water at a time until the dough comes together. Once combined, continue kneading the dough on low for 3 minutes.

Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Do something fun, including but not limited to listening to Funkadelic and/or PM Dawn for a bit.

Free the dough from the blade and process for another 40 seconds. (If using a stand mixer, knead the dough on a low setting for 1 minute.)

Remove dough and portion into 4 equal balls of about 295 grams each, using a digital scale for accuracy. Lightly coat the dough balls with oil and place each into a separate container or dough box with a lid. [HERE IS WHERE I BEGIN TO ASK TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME. I AM SORRY.]

Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge for at least 8 hours, but ideally 7-10 days. 

Tip: Cold dough is hard to roll out. For an easier time, take the dough out of the fridge about 3 to 4 hours before rolling to get it to room temperature. 

On a lightly floured surface, use your rolling pin to roll out each dough to 14 inches (35 centimetres). Dock on both sides with a dough docker or fork, and place each dough ball between 2 sheets of non stick parchment paper. Place a sheet on top of the top dough ball and put the stack of 4 dough balls onto a cutting board or any other flat surface. 

Place into the fridge, uncovered, for 24 to 48 hours. This is called “curing,” and it slowly dries the dough so you can get perfect char and crisp in a fire-cooked dough. Grumble at me for the extra step now, but you’re going to love it.

Preheat the oven to 400 °C (750 °F). You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer.

Flip a cured dough onto a cornmeal-coated pizza peel (the top of the dough is slightly more dried out than the bottom, so by flipping it, the dried side will be underneath). Spread ¼ of your tavern-style pizza sauce to the edges of the dough.

Sprinkle 3 grams of the grated Parmesan over the sauce. Spread ¼ of the mozzarella evenly to the edges.

Add ¼ of the sausage until evenly distributed across the dough. Spread ¼ of the giardiniera across the pizza between the chunks of sausage. Finish with the remaining 3 grams of Parmesan.

Reduce the heat and maintain it at 288 to 315 °C (550 to 600 °F). Launch the pizza into the oven. 

Cook the pizza for 7 to 8 minutes, rotating frequently for an even bake. Use the sausage as the barometer – if it’s not browned, continue to rotate and cook for 60 to 90 seconds.

Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 1 minute.

Cut into 3 or 4 slices per side, depending on your crowd and their hunger. Repeat the steps for the remaining pizzas.