Mom’s Cheese Pizza

Regular Crust Dough:

(use half recipe for thin crust)

2 cups unbleached flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp instant yeast

1 cup warm water (110° -115°)

2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450°.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.

Add water and oil, stirring until dough holds together.

Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes, or until smooth.

Form dough into a ball by pulling the sides down and pinching them together, tucking the "tail" under the bottom of the dough ball.

Brush the inside of a large bowl lightly with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and brush the top of the ball with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

While dough is rising, prepare sauce and toppings.

Sauce:

⅓ cup tomato paste

⅓ cup warm water

1 tsp honey

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp dried basil

¼ tsp ground white pepper

¼ tsp salt

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 pinch ground clove

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Toppings:

1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

dried parsley

fresh basil leaves

crushed red pepper

Once dough has risen, gently deflate it and let it rest for a few minutes.

Transfer dough to a lightly oiled pizza stone or pan and gradually stretch it to fit (14"-15"), leaving the edge a bit thicker to contain the toppings.

Ladle on amount of sauce desired and spread evenly. Sprinkle on mozzarella (more around the outside than the middle, as it will cook towards the center). Lightly sprinkle dried parsley over pizza, saving basil and pepper to add after baking.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until crust is well browned and cheese is golden and bubbly. (Thin crust will cook more quickly than regular crust.)

Remove from oven and let rest for five minutes before cutting. Add basil leaves and sprinkle with crushed red pepper.