MARGARITA PIZZA

Margarita Pizza image

Provided by Elizabeth Falkner

Yield Makes one 12- to 13-inch pizza

Number Of Ingredients 10

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2 tablespoons flour, for the work surface
1 ball Pizza Dough
1 tablespoon semolina flour, for the pizza paddle
2 tablespoons olive oil, for brushing the dough
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and cut into 6 chunks (not slices)
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 Genovese basil leaves (see Note, following)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Steps:

Preheat the grill on high heat.
Dust a counter with the 2 tablespoons flour. Stretch the dough by rotating on your knuckles into a 12- to 13-inch diameter round. Sprinkle the semolina on a wooden pizza paddle or on the back of a baking pan large enough to hold the dough round. Set the dough on the semolina. Brush the top of the dough with the olive oil.
Slide the pizza onto the hot grill and cook until grill marks appear and the dough is set, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the dough over with a large spatula or tongs or your hands; brush the top with olive oil, and cook until the dough is firm but not completely cooked and grill marks appear, another 3 to 4 minutes. Slip the pizza paddle under the crust and remove from the grill. Set a large cast-iron griddle on the grill to heat or place a pizza pan in the oven and preheat to 500°F.
To build the pizza, spread the tomato sauce over the partially cooked crust. Distribute the mozzarella over the pizza and sprinkle on the pecorino romano. Season with salt and pepper.
Slip the pizza off the paddle onto the griddle on the grill or onto the pizza pan in the oven and bake until bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and set the pizza on a cutting board. Scatter on whole or snipped basil leaves and drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil. Cut into 6 to 8 wedges and serve.