James Carrier
Start with a basic pizza dough recipe and a quick pizza sauce recipe to make your own hand-tossed pizza. Top with mozzarella cheese and your choice of meats, veggies and herbs.
How to Make It
Step 1
Let pizza dough stand at room temperature until almost doubled and no longer cold, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Coat two 14-inch pizza screens (see notes) or pizza pans with cooking oil spray.
Step 2
Remove dough from bags; coat with flour. On a lightly floured board, roll each ball into a 10-inch round.
Step 3
Shake excess flour from dough. Following "Tossing Tips,", included in Tony's Pizza Dough recipe, toss each round until it is stretched to 14 inches. Or lay each on a floured board and gently stretch to 14 inches. Lay crusts on prepared pizza screens or pans; don't press dough down.
Step 4
Spread 3/4 cup quick pizza sauce over each crust to within 1 inch of edge. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature up to 3 hours. Shortly before baking, distribute half the cheese, meat, vegetables, and seasonings over each crust.
Step 5
Set screens or pans on the bottom rack or on a heated baking stone (see notes) on bottom rack in a 500° oven (one at a time if you have only one oven). Bake until crust is browned on the bottom (lift one edge to check), 10 to 15 minutes. Slide each pizza onto a board and cut into wedges.
Step 6
Tony's favorite combos:
Step 7
Cholula spicy chicken: Top each round with 3/4 cup quick pizza sauce; 1 1/2 cups shredded sautéed chicken breast mixed with 3 to 4 tablespoons Cholula or other hot sauce; 2 cups shredded 100% whole-milk mozzarella cheese; 3/4 cup thinly sliced red onion; 2 to 4 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh jalapeño chilies; 1 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 4 ounces uncooked firm chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch chunks; and paprika to taste.
Step 8
Margherita: Brush each round with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; top with 2 cups shredded 100% whole-milk mozzarella cheese and 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil. Bake until top is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Distribute about 18 fresh basil leaves mixed with 1 teaspoon olive oil over pizza; continue baking until crust is browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes longer. Meanwhile, drain 8 thin tomato slices on paper towels; arrange on baked pizza.
Step 9
Vegetable: Top each round with 1 cup quick pizza sauce; 2 cups shredded 100% whole-milk mozzarella cheese; 1/2 cup each thinly sliced red onion, green bell pepper, zucchini, and drained oil-packed dried tomato halves; and 1 jar (6 1/2 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, drained.
Step 10
Note: Nutritional analysis for original Tony's Hand Tossed Pizza recipe and will vary for Tony's favorite combos.
Chef's Notes
Start the dough at least 1 day ahead. If making one of "Tony's Favorite Combos," below, evenly distribute the toppings in the order listed on stretched crust; bake as directed in step 5 unless otherwise noted.
Baking pizza on a screen--a rimless mesh or perforated-metal round (available from www.smartandfinal.com and at cookware stores)--allows the crust to brown faster and more evenly on the bottom. If using a baking stone, set it on the bottom rack of a 500° oven at least 30 minutes before using.
Pyzano's Pizzeria, Castro Valley, California
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