CHEESE PIZZA

Cheese Pizza image

Provided by Food Network

Time 2h15m

Yield 1 pizza

Number Of Ingredients 7

All-purpose flour, for the surface
One 6-ounce ball pizza dough, at room temperature
3 to 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, sliced
1 tablespoon Sicilian (or regular dried) oregano (see Cook's Note)
1/2 cup marinara sauce, at room temperature
Olive oil, for topping, optional
Freshly grated Parmesan, for topping, optional

Steps:

Place a pizza stone in the center rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F for 1 to 2 hours before you're ready to bake the pizza to get the stone nice and hot.
Generously sprinkle a flat work surface with flour. Use a rolling pin to stretch the dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured pizza peel or unrimmed baking sheet so it can slide right onto the pizza stone in the oven. (I use the bottom of a baking sheet.)
Top with the mozzarella, sprinkle with the oregano, then gently spread the marinara sauce on top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the edges for the crust (my favorite part!).
Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler. Use the peel or baking sheet to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone. The heat from the stone will cook the bottom of the pizza and the boiler will char and cook the top, mimicking a Neapolitan pizza oven. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is evenly crisped, 5 to 6 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan if desired. Slice the hot pizza and serve immediately.