Cheese Pizza

Ingredients

Pans and Parchment Paper:

Pizza Dough

Pizza Sauce:

Cheese:

Basil:

Instructions

  1. If you prefer a homemade pizza crust, prepare pizza sponge 1 to 2 days in advance of making pizza.
  2. Pull the oven racks out of the oven and set on stovetop.
  3. Preheat oven:
    Standard Oven: 425°   |   Convection Oven: 400°
  4. If you are using a pizza stone place a rack in the lower half of the oven: Preheat oven:
    Standard Oven: 425°   |   Convection Oven: 400°
  5. Prepare pizza sauce; set aside.
  6. Tear off 2 sheets of parchment paper. Each one should be approximately 20 inches long.
  7. Place each piece of parchment paper on a separate work surface.
  8. Lightly dust another work surface with cornmeal.
  9. Punch down the dough.
  10. Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
  11. Knead dough for 30 seconds.
  12. Split the dough into two equal halves and place on the cornmeal dusted work surface.
  13. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
  14. Place each piece of dough directly in the center of a piece of parchment paper.
  15. Beginning in the center of each dough ball use the palm of your hand to gently press each ball into a 14-inch round.
  16. If you are using a baking stone place the dough directly on a generously floured pizza peel, press out into a 14-inch round, and assemble as directed below. NOTE: You will have to bake one pizza at a time.
  17. Get out two 16-inch pizza pans.
  18. Slide each pizza pan under each of the two pizza rounds.
  19. Note that the pizza round and the parchment paper will both end up on top of the pizza pan.
  20. Spread each pizza round with ½ cup + 2 tablespoons pizza sauce. If you like a lot of sauce on your pizza add more according to your tastes.
  21. Sprinkle ½ of grated cheese mixture over each round. If you prefer your pizza to be light on cheese, use less than the recommended amount.
  22. Sprinkle the top of each pizza with 1 teaspoon of basil.
  23. Slide the parchment paper off of the pizza pan and directly onto the oven rack.
  24. Bake the pizza for approximately 10 minutes. The underside of bottom crust should be golden brown.
  25. If you have a convection oven you can bake both pizzas at the same time.
  26. To remove the pizza from the oven, slide a pizza pan or a pizza peel under the parchment paper then carefully grab the edge of the paper with your fingers and pull the paper and pizza onto the pan or peel.
  27. If you are baking the pizzas on a pizza stone, slide the pizza from the pizza peel onto the preheated baking stone. Baking time should be approximately 10 minutes.
  28. To remove the pizza from the pizza stone, slide the pizza peel under the pizza and remove the pizza from the oven.
  29. Cool for 10 minutes, cut and serve.

Comments

Recipe makes two 14-inch thin crust pizzas. If you want a slightly thicker crust roll the dough out 10 to 12-inches and follow the same baking instructions.

Salad goes great with pizza so why not serve up a Caesar salad with croutons or a bowl of crisp salad greens topped with Italian salad dressing and croutons?

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