Cornmeal Substitute For Pizza

Making pizza at home may be an exhilarating experience for any home chef, but it can also be a difficult undertaking, owing to the fact that any little mistake might result in an epic disaster. The puffy dough and the hot oven, the pizza stone, the pizza peel, the pizza sauce, and, finally, the cornmeal are the secrets to a perfect pizza.

Yes, cornmeal may seem to be the least necessary ingredient in pizza baking, but it is essential in creating the ideal pizza crust. What is the best way to transfer a sticky pizza dough from the pizza peel to the pizza stone? Cornmeal is the solution, as it functions as a lubricant for the pizza dough.

Let’s assume you’re preparing pizza and you realize you’re out of cornmeal. You’d be disappointed, but before you abandon your pizza adventure, I’ve included several possible substitutes for cornmeal. Let’s start with cornmeal, how it’s utilized, and how it might be replaced.

CornmealNutrition Facts

What is Cornmeal?

Cornmeal is a coarse flour made from crushed dry corn. It is not finely ground like wheat flour, although it may be obtained in a coarse form, a medium consistency, or sometimes finely ground to some extent.

Nixtamalization is the process of soaking maize in an alkaline solution such as limewater to generate fine cornmeal. In Mexico, the resultant cornmeal is so finely crushed that it is referred to as cornflour. This finely ground cornmeal is also known as masa harina (masa flour), and it may be found in arepas, tamales, and tortilla recipes. Boiling cornmeal, also known as polenta in Italy, is the second most common variety of cornmeal; boiling cornmeal is a staple dish and bread alternative in Romania.

Uses of Cornmeal in Recipes

Cornmeal is a basic staple food that, due to its gluten-free nature, is often used to substitute flour in baking. Because cornmeal lacks gluten, the dough does not expand, resulting in a denser structure. Cornmeal is also used to make various traditional recipes, such as cornmeal porridge, a famous Jamaican breakfast, Cou-cou, a Barbados national dish, and Funche, a classic Puerto Rican breakfast.

Cornmeal is a versatile culinary ingredient, but we don’t consume it for pizzas; instead, you pour some cornmeal on the pizza steel to effectively transfer the pizza dough in and out of the pizza stone; putting cornmeal to your pizza steel is required to prevent the pizza dough from adhering to the peel.

Other recipes that call for a dash or two of cornmeal are included below.

• South of the border shrimp and grits
• One-skillet hearty chili and cornbread
• Blue cornmeal pancakes
• Cheesy polenta
• Crispy air fryer cod
• Crunchy oven-fried tilapia
• Mawmaws simple fried green tomatoes
• Blueberry cornbread in a skillet
• Vegan baked polenta with radicchio
• Cast iron cornbread
• Cornbread Madeleines
• Collard greens, cornmeal, and sausage soup
• Date and almond biscotti
• Parmesan and poppyseed crackers
• Southern-fried catfish

Substitutes for Cornmeal in Pizza

Cornmeal is essential in making the ideal pizza crust; one little mistake might destroy the whole pizza. Too little cornmeal would cause your dough to stick to the peel, while too much cornmeal would create a gritty crunchy residue underneath your pizza crust; however, there are some cornmeal substitutes in pizza that would create the perfect pizza crust with no worries, and some recipes may even specifically call for these items. I tested several substitutions and will share the two or three that I found to produce the ultimate pizza crust.

Semolina Flour

The finest choice for getting your pizza on and off the pizza peel is semolina flour. Some may even argue that it is superior than cornmeal, which I agree with. Semolina flour is made from coarse, refined wheat middlings of durum wheat (or other wheat types). It is often used in the preparation of pasta, couscous, and sweet puddings.

You may use semolina flour for cornmeal. The finest thing is that you may make more than one pizza with a single application of semolina flour since it does not blacken after usage like some other ingredients. Even a modest amount of semolina flour can prevent your pizza dough from sticking to the peel.

Flour

Flour is another acceptable cornmeal alternative in pizza, and it is the most popular cornmeal substitution. All-purpose flour will make your pizza dough less sticky, allowing you to easily slide it on and off; you may even add more flour to your dough if necessary; this will not result in a gritty or crispy pizza crust.

The main disadvantage of using all-purpose flour is that it will char after usage, so keep this in mind if you plan on making more than one pizza.

Wheat Bran

Wheat bran is an unusual pizza dust that may be used to get your pizza dough on and off the peel. It performs exactly as well as the other ingredients discussed in this article, but not everyone has access to wheat bran. If you already have some in your pantry, grabbing a handful or two is a good idea.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long can cornmeal be stored?

Cornmeal has a very long shelf life and may be kept correctly for up to a year. This means you can stock up on this great corn product without worrying about it spoiling.

How should you properly store cornmeal?

If you don’t store your cornmeal correctly, it will go bad quickly, so keep it in a cold, dry, and dark area to obtain the best results every time.

How do you properly clean pizza steel?

To clean your wooden pizza steel, use a moist sponge and warm soapy water; this will minimize damage in your pizza peel; after washing, use a little mineral oil to reseal the pores.

Conclusion 

Making pizza at home may be a fun experience, but most amateur cooks struggle to get the pizza off the pan and onto the pizza steel. If you don’t have any cornmeal to oil the pizza steel, the pizza may stick, but there are numerous cornmeal replacements in pizza.