Basic Cheese Pizza

Total Time: 1 hr 13 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 13 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 ounce dry yeast
• 1 cup water, lukewarm
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

Recipe

• 1 dough:.
• 2 in a glass or plastic bowl, combine yeast, water, and sugar (the water can just be water from the tap, make sure it's below 100°f).
• 3 stir to dissolve the yeast and let the yeast "bloom" for 15 minutes.
• 4 stir in 1 cup flour, add salt, and then stir in another cup of flour (the remaining cup of flour will be your "bench" flour and added flour).
• 5 dump mixture onto kneading board and work in last cup of flour, kneading until dough is soft and elastic, but not sticky. form dough into a ball.
• 6 in another bowl, pour in the 1 tbsp olive oil and spread around.
• 7 coat ball of dough with oil and cover bowl with a damp towel and let dough rise for 40 minutes.
• 8 punch down dough and knead on board about 2 minutes. dough is now ready to spread in the pan.
• 9 to avoid sticking of crust, lightly spray pizza pan with olive oil or vegetable oil spray and then work dough to pan (or use free form pan) - this dough is enough for 1 14-in pizza with a thin bottom crust and enough dough around the edge to munch.
• 10 sauce:.
• 11 combine pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, minced garlic, and basil.
• 12 spread onto prepared pizza dough.
• 13 top with sliced mozzarella cheese and bake at 500°f for 11-13 minutes.