Description
Crisp-edged crust, bright tomato, creamy mozzarella, and fragrant basil—simple, classic, and ridiculously satisfying. The key is balance: a light hand with sauce and well-drained cheese so the center stays tender, not watery.
Ingredients
- 1 ball / 200-250 g – pizza dough (room temperature – use our recipe!)
- ½ cup / 120 ml – crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp / 15 ml – extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for finishing)
- 1 small clove – garlic (finely grated or minced)
- ¼ tsp / 1.5 g – kosher salt
- 6 oz / 170 g – fresh mozzarella (drained, sliced, and well blotted)
- 1 oz / 28 g – Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 10 leaves – fresh basil (torn)
- 1 tbsp / 10 g – semolina flour or all-purpose flour (for dusting peel)
- ⅛ tsp / 0.3 g – red pepper flakes (optional)
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
Heat Setup
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Put a pizza stone or baking steel on the upper-third rack (or set an inverted rimmed sheet pan on that rack). Preheat the oven to its hottest setting, ideally 500–550°F / 260–290°C, and let the stone/steel heat for 45 minutes.
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While the oven heats, set the pizza dough on the counter, covered, so it relaxes and stretches easily.
Sauce and Toppings
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In a bowl, stir together crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust salt if needed (it should taste pleasantly seasoned).
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Drain the mozzarella, slice it, then press gently between paper towels until the surface feels dry (this helps prevent a watery pizza).
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Grate the Parmesan. Tear the basil and keep it nearby for finishing.
Shape, Top, Bake
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Lightly dust a peel (or the back of a baking sheet) with semolina or flour. Place the dough on it and stretch into a 12–14 inch / 30–35 cm round, leaving a slightly thicker rim.
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Jiggle the peel: the dough should slide. If it sticks, lift an edge and flick a little more flour underneath.
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Spoon on the sauce in a thin layer (about 1/3–1/2 cup / 80–120 ml), leaving a 1 inch / 2.5 cm border. Scatter on mozzarella evenly, then sprinkle Parmesan over the top.
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Launch the pizza onto the hot stone/steel (or slide onto the hot inverted pan). Bake 7–10 minutes, rotating once if your oven browns unevenly.
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Finish 1–2 minutes more as needed until the rim is deeply golden with a few browned spots, the cheese is melted with a little caramelization, and the underside is crisp when lifted with a spatula.
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Drizzle lightly with olive oil, add basil (and red pepper flakes if using), then rest 1 minute before slicing so the cheese sets slightly.
Notes
- For cleaner slices, let the pizza rest 1–2 minutes, then cut with kitchen scissors (less dragging than a dull wheel).
- If you used parchment to launch, tug it out after 1–2 minutes so the bottom can crisp directly on the stone/steel.
- Tear basil right before serving and lightly “clap” the leaves between your palms to wake up the aroma without bruising them.
- A tiny pinch of finely grated Parmesan on the bare rim before baking helps the edge brown a shade deeper and taste extra savory.
- If your oven has hot spots, rotate the pizza when the rim first starts to color (you’ll get more even leopardy spots).
- Want a brighter tomato pop? Add a small pinch of sugar to the sauce only if your tomatoes taste unusually sharp.
- For a crisper reheat, use a skillet to re-crisp the bottom, then cover briefly to re-melt the top (it tastes freshly baked again).
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Rise + Rest: 1h 20 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Pizza
- Cuisine: Italian