1 (16-inch) pizza
You know you are in New York when you can buy a slice of pie just about anywhere. According to Statistic Brain, Americans consume 3 billion pizzas annually. On any day, one in eight Americans eats pizza, and 93 percent of Americans eat at least one slice of pizza a month. The average number of slices of pizza eaten by a single person in a year is forty-six. All this is to say that we sure love our pizza in the United States! Your guests will especially enjoy this fresh pizza, made with the best ingredients.
1 (14½-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 recipe Paul’s Pizza Dough (here)
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Cornmeal, for dusting
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
In a small bowl, crush the tomatoes by hand. Stir in the garlic.
If you want to channel your inner Italian, give the dough a toss or two in the air. Dust a work surface well with flour. Hand-press or roll out the pizza dough to the desired shape and thickness.
If using a pizza stone, carefully remove it from the oven. Alternatively, many people who use a pizza stone keep it in the oven at all times, and they use a large wooden pizza spatula (called a “peel”) to transfer the pie to the stone. This is a good idea if you plan on making lots of pizzas; you can use a large rimless baking sheet for the same purpose. If you do take your pizza stone in and out of the oven, be very careful since it is heavy and hot. Sprinkle the pizza stone, peel, or baking sheet with cornmeal in order to prevent the dough from sticking.
Place the crust on the pizza stone or baking sheet. Top the crust with the crushed tomatoes, leaving a ½-inch border all around, and lay the slices of mozzarella on the sauce.
Put the pizza stone back in the oven and bake until the pizza crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, about 15–20 minutes.
Remove the pizza from the oven, top with basil leaves, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.