Instructions

Make the Dough
Gather the ingredients.

Ingredients for dough

Combine flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Mix to combine.

Combine flour and salt

Add water and mix to combine.

Add water

Then, knead dough on low speed for 10 minutes. The mixture should come together into a unified mass that barely sticks to the bottom of the bowl as it kneads. If dough sticks, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time to the mixer while it is running, until the mass barely sticks to the bowl. If the mixture is too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time to the running mixer.

Knead dough

Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. It can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

Cover bowl

When ready to make pizza, transfer dough to a floured work surface. Divide dough into four even sections.

Transfer dough to work surface
Coat four small containers or bowls with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil.

Coat bowls with olive oil
With floured hands, form each section into a ball.

Ball of dough
Place one dough ball into each coated container or bowl. Lightly spray the top of each dough ball with nonstick cooking spray or coat with olive oil.

Dough in bowl
Cover each container or bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Each dough ball should double in volume.

Cover
Make the Sauce
Gather the ingredients.

Sauce
Make the sauce by either pushing the tomatoes through a food mill or simply pulsing them in a food processor until a chunky liquid is formed.

Blend
Heat oven to at least 475 F, higher if your oven allows. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat as well.

Heat pizza stone
Assemble the Pizzas
Gather the ingredients.

Assemble pizza
Onto a well-floured surface, stretch out each ball of dough into a 10-inch circle. Use a floured rolling pin if you need it. Don’t worry about the dough being a perfect circle!

Stretch out dough
Place one rolled out piece of dough onto a lightly floured pizza peel, shake gently to ensure that the dough is not sticking.

Dough on pizza stone
Spread about 1/3 cup of sauce over the dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch edge without sauce.

Spread sauce over dough
Top the sauce with a quarter of the mozzarella slices. Tear a few basil leaves on top (according to your liking), and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. You can also add the basil and olive oil after the pizza is cooked.


Transfer pizza from peel to the hot stone.

Transfer pizza to oven
Bake about 5 to 7 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and crust is charred in places.

Bake
Repeat with remaining dough balls and ingredients.

Repeat with remaining dough