Simple Tomato & Mozzarella Pizza

I posted a flat bread recipe back in 2012, with perfect thin crust pizza dough recipe adopted from America's Test Kitchen. (Please click here to see the recipe: "Flat-bread with Ricotta, Bacon and Caramelized Onion".) While I loved the recipe, however, the recipe requires at least one day from start to finish.

So, I found this following relatively easier and quicker pizza dough recipe. :)

While thinking of posting a pizza recipe, I took a look at Wikipedia to learn more about pizza; the origin of pizza, some hidden stories and etc. It has a very interesting article about "Non-Italian types of pizza".

Here are some highlights:

In Australia: "... such unconventional toppings as kangaroo, emu and crocodile".
In Brazil: "There is a "Pizza Day" (July 10) in São Paulo".
In Israel: "have both kosher and non-kosher locations".
In Korea: "Korean-style pizza tends to be complicated ... potato mousse-filled cookie dough crust is sprinkled with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raisins, and can be dipped in a blueberry sauce that is provided".

I am baking two 12" simple & humble tomato & mozzarella pizzas today. I think I might be still hungry after just one. ;-)

Simple Tomato & Mozzarella Pizza
(Yield: Two 12" size pizzas / Cooking time: 3 hours)

Ingredients:

Basic pizza dough
+ 1 tsp sugar
+ 1 cup warm water (110-115°F)
+ 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
+ 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (+ some extra for dusting the surface when you work on it)
+ 1.5 tsp salt
+ 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (+ some extra to grease a bowl)

Tomato & Mozzarella Pizza toppings
+ 14.5oz canned whole tomatoes
+ 8oz fresh mozzarella cheese
+ fresh basil leaves
+ salt and pepper


Procedures:
1. Dissolve active dry yeast in 1 cup of warm water (110-115°F) with a teaspoon of sugar. If the water is too hot, yeast can die, and if the water is too cold, yeast cannot proof.* Do not stir the water, and you will start seeing a froth-like foam or bubble forming after five minutes.

* Yeast, although they are dried, are still micro-organisms that are alive. The micro-organisms consume sugar in the dough and produce gas carbon dioxide. The gas forms air bubbles and let the dough expand and rise.

2-1. Stir flour and salt in a stand mixer with dough hook attached.
2-2. Then, slowly pour #1 (yeast and warm water) to the flour while stirring at low speed.
2-3. When the water and flour are combined together, increase the speed to mid-speed and knead for about five minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth.
2-4. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and continue to kneed until the olive oil is absorbed completely.


3. Wet your hands with olive oil or water before handling the dough (the dough is very sticky). And, make a ball out of the dough and place it into a bowl coated with olive oil. Set the dough in a warm area for two hours. The dough should double the size.


4. Dust the working surface with enough extra flour and cut the dough in half to shape it into two loaves. Gently press down the dough to let out gas from big gas pockets.


5. Roll the dough into two balls, and place them on a flour dusted parchment lined baking sheet tray. Cover the dough with a greased plastic wrap and rest the dough in a fridge for at least 30 minutes.


6. While the dough is resting... place a pizza stone on the top rack, and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). By placing the pizza stone at the highest position in the oven, we are mimicking a pizza oven which has a very low ceiling. The low ceiling keeps the heat as close as possible to the top of pizza.


7. While the oven is preheating, prepare the toppings for pizza.
- Canned tomatoes: drain the juice from the can and crush tomatoes with hands. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
- Basil: wash lightly, and pick leaves only.
- Fresh mozzarella: slice into 1/4" thick pieces.


8. Take out the rested dough, and stretch the dough into 12" round shape on parchment paper. Spread crushed tomato first and sprinkle three to four basil leaves. Cover the sauce and basil leaves with mozzarella cheese.


9. Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone with the parchment paper. Bake for about 12 minutes until the top of the pizza is golden brown color.

10. Take out the pizza and sprinkle extra basil leaves. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and season with pepper if needed.


Enjoy~