Made with ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry!
This recipe makes three 11 inch pizzas
Dough Ingredients
2 Teaspoons / 5 Grams Active Dry Yeast
2 Teaspoons / 5 Grams Kosher Salt
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4.5 Cups / 625 Grams All Purpose Flour
Sauce Ingredients
30 Ounces (2 Cans) Canned Tomato Sauce or Crushed Tomatoes
4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
4 Teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, Minced, Crushed, or Grated
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Teaspoon Oregano
2 Teaspoon Dry Basil (or chopped fresh basil)
2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (or to taste)
Additional / Optional Ingredients
Mozzarella Cheese
Quarantine note: The only mozzarella I had in my fridge was in the form of Polly-O whole milk mozzarella cheese sticks. I sliced them lengthwise a few times and then chopped into small pieces, it was a great compromise!
Fresh Basil
Other Toppings of Your Choice
Equipment / Supplies
Stand Mixer (recommended, not required)
Kitchen Scale (recommended, not required)
A pan or saucepot for the sauce. I used my enameled Cousances Cast Iron Skillet
Note: Highly acidic foods like tomato sauce can be very rough on regular seasoned cast iron
The Cast Iron Skillet of your choosing for the pizza. I used my Wagner #10, but a #8 would work as well
Medium Size Bowl
Instructions
Making the Dough
Add about 1 and 3/4 Cup Warm Water (100-110 degrees) to the bowl of your stand mixer or a medium size mixing bowl
Add yeast to water and let sit for 5 minutes
Add the rest of the ingredients to your bowl and mix until well incorporated. If using a stand mixer set to stir for about 5 minutes. If mixing by hand continue to mix until it forms a rough ball
Sprinkle some flour on a cutting board or clean countertop and knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball, it should only take a few minutes
Cut the dough into 3 equal sized pieces and form into balls
Place the dough balls you are planning to use into separate mixing bowls and cover with plastic wrap. You can also freeze them in individual ziplock bags to use later.
To use frozen dough later, remove the ball of dough from the bag and put in an oiled mixing bowl and move to the fridge for 24 hours to defrost
Allow to rise for 30 minutes on your countertop, or as I prefer, overnight in the fridge. An overnight rise allows the dough to develop deeper flavors
After the dough has approximately doubled in size fold once or twice back into a smooth ball and let rest for 15 minutes. If you let the dough rise in the fridge overnight take it out about 30 minutes before this step
Making the Sauce
Add 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil to your pan or saucepot on medium heat
Add the garlic, oregano, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, onion powder, and dry or chopped basil to the oil and sautee until fragrant, about 2 minutes, mixing constantly to avoid burning the garlic
Add the tomato sauce / crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan
Stir to incorporate all ingredients
Turn heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until it has thickened to your desired consistency
Making the Pizza
Pre-heat your oven as hot as it goes. I cooked at 525 degrees
With a paper towel or brush coat the inside of your Cast Iron skillet with Olive Oil
Carefully stretch and work the dough ball into a disc
Note: Some people swear by stretching / spinning the dough, some people swear by rolling it. It's really up to you which you prefer but I prefer to stretch it
Add the dough to the pan and work it outwards towards the walls of the skillet being careful not to tear it, rolling over the outer edge to form a nice crust
Drizzle or brush olive oil onto the surface of the dough
Put the dough, without toppings, into the oven for 2-3 minutes, or 5-6 minutes if you are planning to use high moisture toppings like fresh mozzarella or ricotta
Remove the dough from the oven and add your toppings. I kept it simple with sauce, mozzarella, a sprinkling of oregano, and a few fresh basil leaves
Put back into the oven on the middle rack until the cheese is melted and the crust has browned. Mine took 15 minutes at 525 degrees, but if your oven runs cooler it may take longer
