This iconic & tasty pizza tastes best with home grown sweet basil.
Ingredients:
- Premade pizza dough (enough for one pizza)
- 1/2 cup perfect pizza sauce (recipe below)
- 1/4 pound of thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for grating
Directions:
- Set a pizza stone on a rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500° for at least 45 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and let stand for 20 minutes.
- Working on a floured surface and using your fingers, press and stretch the dough ball out to a 10-inch round, working from the center toward the edge; avoid pressing on the outermost edge. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured pizza peel. Spread the Pizza Sauce onto the dough, making sure to leave a 1-inch border around the edge, and top with the mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, a drizzle of the extra-virgin olive oil and a light grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- Turn the oven to broil for 5 minutes, then return it to 500°. Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone, opening and closing the oven door as quickly as possible. Bake until the bottom is lightly charred and the toppings are bubbling, about 6 minutes for a chewier crust and 8 minutes for a crispier one; avoid opening the oven door during baking.
Perfect Pizza Sauce
Pass a 28-ounce can of whole San Marzano tomatoes through a food mill set over a large bowl. Blend the puree with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, and season with salt.
Recipe from FoodandWine.com.
