Dana's Pizza

I love pizza but I've gotten really picky about it and can hardly eat pizza from a fast food place anymore.  Making your own authentic pizza is really not that hard and it is so worth it!

Recipe:

Dana's Pizza Dough
Dana's Pizza Sauce
Fresh basil
Toppings (optional) (we like ham, homemade Italian sausage, pineapple, green pepper, mushrooms)
Fresh or whole milk Mozzarella cheese, cubed
Provolone cheese, grated (optional)
Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt
Olive oil, really good finishing oil

1. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 10-90 minutes before making the pizza. If the dough has risen more than 50% in the fridge, take it out 10 minutes before baking. If the dough hasn't risen much in the fridge, take it out 80-90 minutes before baking.

2. About 90 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone either on the floor of the oven (for gas ovens), or on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven as hot as possible, up to 800°F. If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan (doesn't work as well).

3. Sprinkle flour on the counter, flour hands and turn dough ball out onto the counter and gently turn dough in flour to cover all dough. Make a little rim with your fingers and start spreading and popping bubbles with your fingers. Don't knead or use a rolling pin, you are just popping the big bubbles. Carefully pick up dough and stretch from underneath with fingers. Place on parchment paper or lightly, evenly floured-with-hands pizza peel. Use as little flour as possible. With a very wet dough this takes some practice. You don't have to use a lot of flour, but it does have to be even. Shake peel to make sure the dough isn't sticking. Always shake it just before placing it in the oven and a couple times while preparing. Work quickly, so as not to let the moisture in the dough come out through the thin dry flour coating. I always just use parchment paper because it's so much easier and you don't have to worry about working so quickly.

4. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction (about 9-12 inches in diameter for an 8-ounce piece of dough), lay it on the peel or pan, making sure there is enough flour to allow it to slide (unless you're using parchment, then you don't have to worry). Top it with about 2-4 Tbs sauce or less, putting less in the center because the liquid tends to pool there, then add fresh, hand-torn, unrinsed basil, (rinsing kills the taste), then add just a thin layer of Romano or Parmesan cheese, then a little pinch of salt, and then your other toppings, remembering that the best pizzas are topped with a less-is-more philosophy. Sprinkle pizza with another small pinch of salt and a little drizzle of olive oil.

5. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan which may need to be rotated half way through) and close the door (If using parchment paper, you can slide the pizza with the parchment paper onto the stone). The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone to a lower shelf before the next round. if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone for subsequent bakes.

6. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack for steam to escape from bottom. Wait 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving.