Mozzarella and Basil Pizza
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(0 votes)
Difficulty:
easy
Difficulty
Preparation:
45 min.
Preparation
ready in 9 h. 25 min.
Ready in
Ingredients
for
8
- For Pizza Crust
- ¼ tsp Dry yeast (rounded)
- ½ cup warm water (approximately 100 degrees)
- 1 tsp unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus extra for kneading)
- For Topping
- 2 ¼ cups canned, peeled, whole Tomatoes (drained)
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 Tbsps olive oil (divided)
- 2 Tbsps Tomato paste
- 2 cups fresh Mozzarella (sliced)
- salt (to taste)
- freshly ground Black pepper (to taste)
- fresh Basil
Preparation steps
1.
For Pizza Crust
2.
In a large bowl, mix yeast with warm water, 1 teaspoon flour and sugar and let stand until foamy (approximately 5 minutes. Add the salt and flour and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding flour if necessary until dough is soft and silky. Use a pastry scraper to knead the dough.
3.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. About 30 minutes before baking, punch down, knead for two minutes and then form into a ball and rub with olive oil. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.
4.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Position rack as low in the oven as possible.
5.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface as thin as possible to a 16-inch round. Spread and stretch dough over pan or stone, rolling edges to form a rim. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
6.
For Topping
7.
Pulse tomatoes in a food processor until coarsely chopped or pass tomatoes through a food mill. Stir in oregano, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil and tomato paste. Spread tomato mixture over the dough to within 1-inch of the edge. Arrange mozzarella slices over the top of the pizza and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; to taste.
8.
Bake about 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust bottom is crisp and brown and the cheese is melted.
9.
Top with basil leaves and let rest for about 3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
