Classic Cheese Pizza

Sourced: On Sugar Mountain

Dough Recipe: Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Quantity: Approximately 1 large pizza

For the dough:

1/2 cup warm water

1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (not instant)

1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for rolling

1 tsp salt

Olive oil for coating bowl

For assembling the pizza:

1/2 to 1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (or more if you like)

Method:

Turn your oven up to 200F (or a warm setting if you have it) for 5 minutes, Then, turn it off.

Add water to large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast over the top.  Let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy.

Add flour, followed by the salt and stir with a wooden spoon until dough beings to come together.

It will look sort of shaggy and rough but that is ok.
Turn dough and any loose bits out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it comes together and forms a smooth dough, about 5 minutes.

Coat the inside of a large mixing bowl with olive oil and then place dough inside.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in your oven (which you heated in step 1) and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Once doubled, remove from bowl and roll dough out into a circular(ish) shape and about 1/2 inch thickness. You'll also want to preheat the oven to 500F once you start prepping the pizza.

Once it's rolled out to your liking, transfer the dough to a baking sheet sprinkled with flour and cornmeal (I sprinkled with olive oil).  Top pizza dough with tomato sauce, using as much or as little as you prefer, followed by the mozzarella cheese.

Once oven is preheated, bake pizza for 10 - 12 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and brown in places and the dough seems firm but not hard.

If necessary, stick under broiler for just a bit for 30 seconds for extra browning.

Let cool slightly, then transfer to plate or cutting board and cut into slices and serve.