Classic Cheese Pizza

How to Make It

1. Let chilled covered dough stand at room temperature until dough is cool (not cold) and a fingerprint remains when dough is pressed, 1 to 2 hours. Transfer 1 dough ball to a heavily floured surface. Using floured fingertips, firmly press all over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

2. If cooking in your home oven, preheat to 500°F with a baking steel or large round cast-iron pizza pan (such as Lodge 15-inch) on middle rack. Let pan preheat in oven for about 30 minutes. If using an outdoor pizza oven, preheat pizza oven and pizza stone according to manufacturer's instructions on high 20 minutes. (Note: Cooking with wood takes more experience to control the heat, so we've only included instructions for gas oven cooking here.)

3. Form a C-shape with the outer edge of your hand, and press firmly inside dough border to define a 1/2-inch wide ring around edge of dough. Lift dough onto the knuckles of both hands, and gently stretch, rotating dough after each stretch to maintain its round shape. Continue gently stretching dough, allowing gravity to help it expand, until a 10-inch circle of even thickness forms, with a slightly thicker outer ring. Lay dough round on a semolina-dusted pizza peel, reshaping as needed to form a circle. Spread dough round with Basic Pizza Sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella.

4. Gently shake pizza peel with prepared pie to loosen. If pizza feels stuck in any areas, carefully lift pizza edge with a bench scraper, and dust peel with a 1:1 mixture of semolina and bread flour. Unload pizza onto preheated pan in home oven, or onto stone in outdoor pizza oven using quick, decisive movements: Set the peel edge on the pan at about a 20-degree angle, and quickly pull back peel to slide half of the pizza onto the pan. Gently shake the peel side to side while pulling it back to slide the rest of the pizza onto the pan, allowing it to stretch slightly.

5. If baking in a home oven, bake at 500°F until edges of crust have puffed slightly, about 3 minutes. Rotate pan 90 degrees, and increase oven temperature to broil. Broil until pizza is cooked through and crust is browned, 3 to 6 minutes. If baking in an outdoor pizza oven, cook pizza, using peel to rotate pizza 90 degrees every 20 to 30 seconds, until cooked through and crust is risen and charred in spots, 2 to 4 minutes.

6. Using peel, transfer pizza to a cutting board. Garnish with fresh basil or oregano, if desired, and cut into wedges.