Plain Pizza

 

Ingredients

· 1 round pizza dough

· 3 tablespoons pizza sauce

· Extra-virgin olive oil

· 2 3/4 ounces fresh mozzarella

· 4 to 5 fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

 

Steps

1) Place a pizza tone or tile on the middle rack of your oven and turn on the heat to its highest setting. Let the oven heat for at least an hour.

2) Stretch the dough and use a spoon to apply the sauce to its center. Use the back of the spoon to spread the sauce evenly across the surface, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edges.

3) Drizzle a little oil over the pie. Break the cheese into large pieces and place these gently on the sauce. Add other toppings, if using any, to taste. Scatter the basil leaves over the top.

4) Using a pizza peel, pick up the pie and slide it onto the heated stone in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 4 to 8 minutes.

 

From: See You on Sunday: A Cookbook for Family and Friends

By: Sam Sifton