Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 cups bread flour
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 1 ⅓ cups ice water
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
Pizza Sauce:
- 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Remaining Ingredients:
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
- 2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella (8 ounces)
- 3 Tablespoons Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting the pizza peel
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Fit a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse the bread flour, sugar, and instant yeast together until combined. Process on low speed while slowly pouring the ice water through the feed tube until the dough just comes together, about 5-10 seconds. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Then add the vegetable oil and salt and process for 1 more minute until smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and transfer it to a bowl lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours and up to 3 days.
- Make the Sauce: Drain the canned whole peeled tomatoes using a fine mesh strainer and discard the drained liquid. Place the drained tomatoes into a blender, add extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, dried oregano, and granulated sugar. Blend on high until completely combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Prepare to Assemble the Pizza: One hour before baking, position an oven rack on the second-highest setting and place a pizza stone on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into two equal halves. Shape each half into a smooth ball and place them on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Shape the Dough: Lightly flour a countertop and one dough ball. Using your hands, flatten the dough into an 8-inch disk, creating a slightly thicker 1-inch outer edge. Gently stretch the dough into a 12-inch circle. Place semolina flour (1 ½ tablespoons) on a pizza peel and transfer the dough to it. Further stretch the dough to about a 13-inch circle to prepare for topping.
- Top the Pizza: Spread ½ cup of prepared pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Evenly sprinkle ¼ cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese over the sauce, followed by 1 cup of shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese.
- Cook the Pizza: Open the oven door and carefully slide the pizza off the peel onto the hot pizza stone. Bake until the crust is lightly browned and the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Repeat: Repeat the shaping, topping, and baking process with the remaining dough, remaining ½ cup of sauce, Parmesan, mozzarella, and semolina flour dusting.
Notes
- Allowing the dough to chill for 24 hours or up to 3 days improves flavor and texture by fermenting slowly.
- Using a pizza stone preheated in a very hot oven is key to achieving the crispy, chewy crust characteristic of New York-style pizza.
- Semolina flour or cornmeal on the pizza peel helps prevent sticking and makes it easier to slide the pizza onto the stone.
- If you don’t have a pizza stone, a heavy baking sheet turned upside down and preheated can be used as a substitute.
- Make sure the oven is fully preheated to 500°F before baking for best results.
- The dough should be handled gently to keep air bubbles intact for the best texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes per pizza
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Italian-American
