Things You Will Need:
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Marinara sauce (Click here for marinara sauce recipe)
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Pizza Dough (Go to your local pizzeria, ask for pizza dough!)
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Shaved Mozzarella cheese (Fresh Mozz is always the best, but choose part skim for a healthier option)
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Fresh basil leaves
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Olive oil
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Garlic
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Corn starch
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Flour
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Tomato slices (Medium or large)
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Pizza Stone (Optional)
Tip #1 Pizza Stone Makes For a Nice Crispy Crust!
Preheat oven to 450 with pizza stone set on middle rack. Then begin to prepare your dough! Split dough from pizzeria into two so you get a nice thin crust (Freeze the other half for another time, or make two pies!); however if the dough is from the grocery no need to divide the dough. Flour dough and flatten by hand then when you have flattened it as much as possible with hands pick it up and begin to let gravity do the work. Pick up dough and move hands along the edge of dough in a circular motion until dough is thin enough to see through. To speed up this process and get in the Italian spirit and pick up the dough and spin it in the air from fist to fist (This is not easy so make sure you take it slow or your dough will end up on the floor!) Now take out a flat round pan, lay dough over it, and take a fork and poke hole into the crust to allow it to breath. Place dough into the oven and bake for about 5 minutes until it becomes stable.
Tip #2 Bake Crust Before Adding Anything, If Not Your Pizza Will Fall Apart
Remove dough from oven and begin to add toppings! Start by drizzling olive oil over pizza. Next add a generous amount of marinara sauce leaving an inch or so around the side bare for crust. Mince desired amount of garlic and spread over sauce and add shaved mozzarella. Now add basil leaves and tomato slices to top of pizza (Refer to picture above to see the proper distributions).
Tip #3 Do Not Overload with Toppings, This Will Only Add Unnecessary Weight to Dough
Take corn starch and sprinkle onto pizza stone. Now using a pizza paddle or the flat round pan slide the pizza onto stone and allow to cook for about 15 minutes or until the bottom of the pizza is crisp to the touch. Remove pizza and set to rest about 5 minutes before serving! Enjoy!
Suggestions
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When serving top with crushed red pepper, garlic powder, and oregano for that extra kick of flavor!
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Serve with a light Cesar salad for a complete meal.
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Pair with red wine!
Pizza Semplice
