The Real Deal Homemade Pizza: Blistered Crust, Real Cheese Pull, No Delivery App Required

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups bread flour (about 450g), plus extra for dusting
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 360ml)
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl
• 1 (28 oz) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, but live a little)
• 12 oz low-moisture mozzarella, shredded by hand (do NOT buy pre-shredded)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 3 to 4 oz pepperoni or Italian sausage, or fresh basil and sliced tomatoes
• Fresh basil leaves, for finishing

Steps

1. Make the dough: whisk the flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Add the water and olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. It should bounce back when you poke it. 2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, until doubled. (Overnight option: after kneading, refrigerate 12 to 48 hours in a sealed container, then let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours before shaping. This is the move.) 3. Make the sauce: crush the tomatoes by hand into a bowl, breaking them into small chunks. Stir in the garlic, oregano, salt, sugar, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. That is the whole sauce. Taste it. It should taste bright and fresh, like summer. 4. Place a pizza steel, pizza stone, or an upside-down baking sheet on the top rack of your oven. Crank the oven to its absolute highest setting, usually 550F, and preheat for a full 45 minutes. This is not optional. The screaming hot surface is what blisters the crust. 5. Divide the risen dough into two equal balls. On a floured surface, press one ball into a disk, then stretch it by hand into a 12-inch round, leaving a thicker rim around the edge for the crust. No rolling pin. Rolling pins murder the air bubbles. 6. Transfer the stretched dough to a floured pizza peel or parchment paper. Spread a thin layer of sauce, about 1/3 cup, leaving the rim bare. Sprinkle half the mozzarella and half the Parmigiano over the sauce. Add your toppings. Thin layers win here. If the cheese looks sparse, good. It will melt into one sheet. 7. Launch the pizza onto the hot steel or stone. Bake 7 to 10 minutes until the crust is puffed and blistered with dark spots and the cheese is bubbling with browned patches. That char is flavor, not a mistake. 8. Pull it out, scatter fresh basil over the top, drizzle with a little olive oil, and let it rest 2 minutes before cutting. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Serve hot.

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