Herb and Garlic Cheese Pizza

Step 1

With the rack set in the middle of the oven, preheat the oven to the highest temperature it'll go to, up to 550º F. A high temp is crucial when it comes to getting a nice golden crisp crust in your oven at home.

Step 2

Work your dough out onto your pie pan.

Step 3

Smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife. Peel the cloves, then grate them into a small bowl to create a garlic paste. This is best done using a microplane. If you don't have one, you can use the smallest holes on your cheese grater or mince the garlic as finely as you can.

Step 4

Pour the olive oil into the bowl with the garlic, and stir. Then, with a pastry brush, brush the garlicky oil over the pie shell—crust included!

Step 5

Evenly sprinkle the shredded cheese over the center of the pizza, followed by the chopped fresh herbs.

Step 6

Pop the pizza into the oven and bake it for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and the crust is golden brown. (You can hit the broiler for a few minutes at the end to get golden bubbly cheese! Just keep a close eye on it so the pizza doesn't burn.)

Step 7

Remove the pizza from the oven and let it sit for about five minutes before cutting into it.