Ingredients

makes two 8-inch square pizzas

　　Pizza Dough (page 201)

　　3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1/2 cup Neapolitan Pizza Sauce (page 203)

　　Salt

　　1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

　　20 fresh basil leaves, cut into very thin strips

　　

Step 1

Prepare the pizza dough, dividing the dough into two equal portions before the second rising.

　　

Step 2

Place the oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 475° F. Using a little of the olive oil, grease two 8-inch square baking pans.

　　

Step 3

Place a dough ball in each prepared pan. Stretch and push the dough out with your fingertips to a roughly even layer in the pan. Press firmly with your fingertips to leave deep indentations in the dough. Then brush with the remaining olive oil, allowing it to collect in the indentations. Spread the pizza sauce over the pizzas, dividing it evenly. Sprinkle the sauce with salt and scatter the cheese and basil over the sauce.

　　

Step 4

Bake the pizzas, rotating them so they cook evenly, until the underside is deep golden brown and crispy, about 20 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before removing from the pans and cutting into slices.

　　From Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright © 2001 by A La Carte Communications and Tutti a Tavola, LLC. Published by arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon.