prep: 15 minutes
cook: under 15 minutes
cool: none
The kids love a simple at-home pizza night, especially when they get to customize their toppings. Our go-to lately has been this classic Margherita pizza, but every so often we’ll switch it up for something a little more unique, like BBQ Chicken or Basil Pesto Chicken. Each of these pizzas is great for making personal-size pies, and some nights we’ll toss them into the oven in a cast-iron skillet, which yields a crust that’s equal parts crispy and chewy. We use an 8-inch pan at home, but whatever size pan you have will work fine. Just be sure to adjust the amount of dough you prepare, and keep in mind that the smaller the pan, the thicker the crust.
Homemade Pizza Dough, prepared through step 4
¼ cup olive oil
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
2 beefsteak tomatoes (about 8 ounces each), sliced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
1. Place a cast-iron pizza stone on the center rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
2. When the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and push down on the dough to release the gases and bubbles. Shape it into a ball. Stretch the dough into a 14-inch round on a sheet of parchment. Drizzle with the olive oil and top evenly with the mozzarella and tomatoes. Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper.
3. Transfer the pizza and parchment to the hot pizza stone. Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is beginning to brown in spots, 13 to 15 minutes.
4. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board, top with the basil, cut into 8 slices, and serve.
Makes 1 pizza, to serve 4