Basic Cheese Pizza Recipes

Steps:

• Place a pizza stone in the center rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F for 1 to 2 hours before you're ready to bake the pizza to get the stone nice and hot.
• Generously sprinkle a flat work surface with flour. Use a rolling pin to stretch the dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured pizza peel or unrimmed baking sheet so it can slide right onto the pizza stone in the oven. (I use the bottom of a baking sheet.)
• Top with the mozzarella, sprinkle with the oregano, then gently spread the marinara sauce on top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the edges for the crust (my favorite part!).
• Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler. Use the peel or baking sheet to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone. The heat from the stone will cook the bottom of the pizza and the boiler will char and cook the top, mimicking a Neapolitan pizza oven. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is evenly crisped, 5 to 6 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan if desired. Slice the hot pizza and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the hot water in a small bowl. Let stand until dissolved and slightly foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and add the olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, dust the dough with flour and knead, dusting with more flour as needed, until very smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet coated with 3 tablespoons olive oil, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Make the pizza sauce: Combine the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, dried oregano, sugar and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl; season with more salt and sugar if needed. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups.)
• Make the pizza: Preheat the oven to 450˚ F (use the convection setting, if available) with a pizza stone, baking steel or inverted large baking sheet in the lower third of the oven. Gently stretch and press the dough to cover the pan as much as possible. Let stand 30 minutes, then gently press and stretch the dough again, if needed, to cover the pan. Top the dough with the pizza sauce, Parmesan, grated mozzarella and torn mozzarella.
• Place the baking sheet on the hot stone and bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove to a cutting board.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) with a pizza stone or inverted sheet tray on the middle rack.
• Allow dough to come to room temperature, covered, on the counter.
• Lightly dust a pizza peel or inverted sheet tray with cornmeal. Roll dough into a 16-inch circle on top. Top dough with marinara sauce, mozzarella, Gouda, Jarlsberg, Parmesan, and basil. Transfer pizza directly on to the preheated stone.
• Bake in the preheated oven until preferred level of browning is attained, 14 to 16 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 6 slices.

Steps:

• Set one oven rack to lowest position and another oven rack to the middle position.
• Place a rimless baking sheet onto the bottom rack, then set oven to 500 degrees.
• Meanwhile roll out the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle then brush with olive oil.
• Carefully remove baking sheet from oven (leaving oven temperature to 500 degrees) then slide the dough onto the preheated baking sheet using a spatula as a guide).
• Bake crust on BOTTOM RACK for 8 minutes.
• After the 8 minutes remove from oven and spread the pizza sauce into an even layer over the crust leaving about a 1/4-inch border.
• Top with mozzarella cheese and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top.
• Bake MIDDLE OVEN RACK for an additional 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the cheese melts.
• Using a pizza cutter slice into 12 wedges.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine biscuit mix and water; mix well. Press into a greased 12-in. pizza pan. Spread with pizza sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Top dough with all cheeses. Bake about 10 minutes, or until nearly done. Sprinkle with basil and finish baking.