Step 1

Follow the Best Pizza Dough or Thin Crust Dough recipe to prepare the dough. (This takes about 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to rest.) Or use one of the alternate dough methods.*

Step 2

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. OR preheat your pizza oven (here’s the pizza oven we use).

Step 3

Peel and cut the garlic into a few rough pieces. Place the garlic, fire roasted tomatoes, olive oil, oregano and kosher salt in a blender. Blend until fully combined. (You’ll use about 1/3 cup for the pizza; reserve the remaining sauce and refrigerate for up to 1 week.)

Step 4

When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!)

Step 5

If you’re making Thin Crust Dough, place it on a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a circle, adding a pinch of flour if it is too sticky. Then roll out the dough into a circle about 11 inches in diameter, using just enough flour on each side to keep it from sticking. If the dough starts to resist rolling, wait for a minute or two, at which point it will roll out more easily.

Step 6

Spread a thin layer of the pizza sauce over the dough, using about 1/3 cup. Add the mozzarella cheese (and if using, goat cheese or other types of cheese). Top with a thin layer of fresh grated Parmesan cheese and a few pinches of kosher salt.

Step 7

Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 minute in a pizza oven).

Step 8

Allow the pizza to cool for a minute or two before adding the basil leaves on top (whole leaves, lightly torn, or thinly sliced). Slice into pieces and serve immediately.