French Bread Pizza

French Bread Pizza

Serves 4 to 6

6	tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil
4	garlic cloves , minced
4	tablespoons  finely chopped fresh basil
1/8	teaspoon  red pepper flakes
1	(24-inch) loaf French bread , halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 8 even pieces
1/2	cup  grated Parmesan cheese
1	cup  pizza sauce  (see note)
2	cups  shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Microwave oil, garlic, 2 tablespoons basil, and pepper flakes on high power in small microwave-safe bowl until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.
2. Brush half of oil mixture over crust and edges of bread and arrange cut-side up on foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle Parmesan evenly over bread and bake until cheese begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
3. Whisk pizza sauce, remaining basil, and remaining oil mixture in bowl. Spread sauce evenly over bread, then top with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and spotty brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve.

sheet Pan Pizza

Sheet Pan Pizza

Serves 12

After mixing in step 1, the dough will be very sticky. Be sure to coat your hands with flour before transferring the dough from the mixing bowl to the greased bowl.

Dough
1/2	cup  extra-virgin olive oil
1 3/4	cups  water , heated to 110 degrees
1	tablespoon  sugar
5	cups  all-purpose flour
2	envelopes  instant or rapid-rise yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
2	teaspoons  salt
Sauce and Toppings
2	tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil
3	garlic cloves , minced
1 1/2	teaspoons  dried oregano
1/4	teaspoon  red pepper flakes
2	tablespoons  tomato paste
1	(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2	tablespoons  chopped fresh basil
	Salt
1 1/2	cups  grated Parmesan cheese
3	cups  shredded mozzarella cheese

1. For the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn off oven. Grease large bowl. Evenly coat 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with 1/4 cup oil.
2. Combine water, sugar, and remaining oil in measuring cup. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, and salt on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium-low and slowly add water mixture until dough is uniform in texture, about 3 minutes. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, cover with plastic, and place in warm oven. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. For the sauce and toppings: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Cook garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer until reduced to 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and season with salt.
4. On lightly floured work surface, use rolling pin to roll dough into 16- by 12-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet and stretch dough to cover pan, pressing dough into corners. Brush dough with remaining oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set in warm spot (not oven) until slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
5. Remove plastic wrap and, using fingers, make indentations all over dough. Sprinkle dough with 1 cup Parmesan and bake until cheese begins to melt, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and spoon sauce over pizza, leaving 1-inch border. Bake until sauce is deep red and steaming, 7 to 10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella and remaining Parmesan evenly over sauce and bake until cheese is golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Serve.

Basic Pizza Sauce

Basic Pizza Sauce

Makes 2 2/3 cups

This recipe makes enough for four pan pizzas, so you will need only half when making Pepperoni Pan Pizza (see related recipe). Freeze the remaining sauce for future pizza making.

1	tablespoon  olive oil
2	cloves  garlic , minced
1	(28-ounce) can  crushed tomatoes
	Salt and pepper

Cook oil and garlic in medium saucepan over low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, increase heat to medium, and cook until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Pepperoni Pan Pizza

Pepperoni Pan Pizza

Makes two 9-inch pizzas serving 4 to 6

Dough
1/2	cup  olive oil
3/4	cup  skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons, warmed to 110 degrees
2	teaspoons  sugar
2 1/3	cups  all-purpose flour , plus extra for counter
1	package   instant yeast
1/2	teaspoon  table salt
Topping
1	(3.5-ounce) package sliced pepperoni
1 1/3	cups  tomato sauce (see related recipe, "Basic Pizza Sauce")
3	cups  shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. To make the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray. Coat each of two 9-inch cake pans with 3 tablespoons oil.
2. Mix milk, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gently shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. To shape and top the dough: Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll and shape dough into 9 1/2-inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot (not in oven) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.
4. While dough rises, put half of pepperoni in single layer on microwave-safe plate lined with 2 paper towels. Cover with 2 more paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Discard towels and set pepperoni aside; repeat with new paper towels and remaining pepperoni.
5. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Ladle 2/3 cup sauce on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browning around edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 wedges. Serve.
Pizza Dough without a Mixer
In step 2, mix the flour, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, then pour the milk mixture into the well. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the dough becomes shaggy and difficult to stir. Turn out onto a heavily floured work surface and knead, incorporating any shaggy scraps. Knead until the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and proceed as directed.

Make-Ahead Pizza

Make-Ahead Pizza

Makes two 12-inch pizzas

You will need two 12-inch disposable aluminum pizza pans and a baking stone for this recipe. See related testing for the test kitchen’s recommended baking stone.

Dough
1 1/2	cups  half-and-half , heated to 110 degrees
1/2	cup  water , heated to 110 degrees
2	tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil
4	cups  all-purpose flour
1/4	cup  cornstarch
1	envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons)  instant or rapid-rise yeast
1/2	teaspoon  baking powder
1/2	teaspoon  sugar
1 1/2	teaspoons  salt
Sauce and Toppings
1	(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1	tablespoon  extra virgin olive oil , plus additional for brushing
1	tablespoon  tomato paste
2	garlic cloves , minced
1	tablespoon  dried basil
1	teaspoon  dried oregano
1/4	teaspoon  red pepper flakes
	Salt
3	cups  shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4	cup  Parmesan cheese , grated
1/4	cup  half-and-half

1. MAKE DOUGH Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, shut it off. Grease large bowl. Combine half-and-half, water, and oil in liquid measuring cup. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, cornstarch, yeast, baking powder, sugar, and salt until combined. With mixer on medium-low speed, add half-and-half mixture in steady stream and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Continue mixing until sticky strands form around exterior but center of dough is uniform in texture, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, coat lightly with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap, and place in warm oven. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
2. MAKE SAUCE Pulse tomatoes in food processor until coarsely ground. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Cook tomato paste until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, basil, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add pulsed tomatoes and simmer until reduced to 1½ cups, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and let cool.
3. CONSTRUCT PIZZA Remove dough from oven and divide in half. Transfer each half to 12-inch disposable aluminum pizza pan and, using oiled hands, press dough to cover pan. Combine mozzarella, Parmesan, and half-and-half in large bowl and stir with rubber spatula until well combined. Top each pizza evenly with half of sauce and half of cheese, leaving ½-inch border around edges. Wrap each pizza tightly with plastic, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 1 month.
4. BAKE PIZZA Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place pizza stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Discard foil and plastic and remove frozen pizza from aluminum pan. Place pizza on large square of parchment paper and brush edges of dough lightly with oil. Transfer parchment and pizza to hot pizza stone. Cover pizza loosely with greased aluminum foil and bake until underside is golden brown and cheese is starting to melt, about 25 minutes. Discard foil and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is completely melted, about 5 more minutes. Serve.

St. Louis Style Pizza

Easy as (Pizza) Pie

St. Louis-Style Pizza has a paper-thin crust. Here's how we transfer the dough from countertop to oven without tearing. 1. Roll out the dough on parchment paper, so it doesn't stick and you can move it easily.
2. Place the parchment and dough on an inverted baking sheet, then top it with sauce and cheese.
3. To get the pizza into the oven, slide both parchment and pizza onto the hot baking stone.

STEP BY STEP

Pizza Toppings

Jazz up your pizza with these toppings. Each recipe tops 1 pizza (and can be doubled to top a full recipe of 2 pizzas).
PEPPERONI
Prepare St. Louis-Style Pizza sauce and dough. Arrange 3 1/2 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni on paper towel-lined plate. Cover with 2 more paper towels and microwave for 2 minutes. Let cool. Proceed with recipe from step 4, arranging pepperoni on pizza before sprinkling with cheese.
PEPPERS, MUSHROOMS, AND ONIONS
Prepare St. Louis-Style Pizza sauce and dough. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook 1 medium onion, sliced thin; 1 red pepper, sliced thin; and 8 ounces thinly sliced white button mushrooms until browned, about 10 minutes. Proceed with recipe from step 4, distributing vegetables over pizza before sprinkling with cheese.

My Notes

In this space, you can add your own notes to this recipe. Only you will be able to view, edit and print your notes. Add a note

St. Louis-Style Pizza

Makes two 12-inch pizzas

We like to use a baking stone (also called a pizza stone), which heats evenly and helps crisp crusts, but if you don’t have one, bake the pizzas on an inverted, preheated rimmed baking sheet.

SAUCE
3	tablespoons  tomato paste
1	(8-ounce) can  tomato sauce
2	tablespoons  chopped fresh basil
1	tablespoon  sugar
2	teaspoons  dried oregano
CHEESE
2	cups  shredded white American cheese
1/2	cup  shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3	drops  liquid smoke
DOUGH
2	tablespoons  cornstarch
2	cups  all-purpose flour
2	teaspoons  sugar
1	teaspoon  baking powder
1	teaspoon  salt
1/2	cup plus 2 tablespoons  water
2	tablespoons  olive oil

1. MAKE SAUCE Whisk together tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, sugar, and oregano in small bowl; set aside. Toss cheeses with liquid smoke in medium bowl; set aside.
2. MIX DOUGH Combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Combine water and olive oil in liquid measuring cup. Stir water mixture into flour mixture until dough starts to come together. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times, until cohesive.
3. ROLL DOUGH Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place pizza stone (or inverted baking sheet) on rack, and heat oven to 475 degrees. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, press into small circle and transfer to parchment paper dusted lightly with flour. Using rolling pin, roll and stretch dough to form 12-inch circle, rotating parchment as needed. Lift parchment and pizza off work surface onto inverted baking sheet.
4. ASSEMBLE PIZZA Top each piece of dough with half of sauce and half of cheese. Carefully pull parchment paper and pizza off baking sheet onto hot baking stone. Bake until underside is golden brown and cheese is completely melted, 9 to 12 minutes. Remove pizza and parchment from oven. Transfer pizza to cooling rack and let cool few minutes. Assemble and bake second pizza. Cut into 2-inch squares. Serve.
MAKE AHEAD: The dough can be made in advance. At the end of step 2, tightly wrap the ball of dough in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

RELATED LINKS

Tips & Techniques
Using Liquid Smoke

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