Creamy Garlic Cheese Pizza With Fresh Basil Food

MARGHERITA PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the Sauce: In a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes, garlic, salt, sugar, pepper, and oil. (Alternatively, for a completely smooth sauce, you can blend the ingredients in a small food processor or blender.)
• Preheat the oven to 500°F and set an oven rack in the bottom position. Dust a 13x18-inch baking sheet with half of the cornmeal.
• On a lightly floured surface, using your hands, stretch and press one ball of dough into an 11-inch round. Transfer the dough to the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, and gently stretch it out again so that it maintains its shape.
• Spread ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of the sauce over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 7 minutes, until the crust is partially cooked. Remove from the oven, and scatter half of the mozzarella cubes over the sauce, followed by half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Slide the pan back into the oven and cook until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 4 minutes more. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with the basil and slice. Repeat with the remaining pizza dough and ingredients. (If you'd like to bake the two pizzas at the same time, you can fire up two ovens. Or, if you don't mind the crust a little thicker, you can form the two dough balls into 8x12-inch rectangles and place them side by side on the baking sheet.)
• Note: This recipe makes enough sauce for 4 (11-inch) pizzas. Refrigerate extra sauce for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

EVERYTHING BASIL PIZZA

Steps:

• 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.)
• Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. OR preheat your pizza oven (here's the pizza oven we use).
• Make the Best Basil Pesto (or Cashew Pesto, Walnut Pesto, or Vegan Pesto). Thinly slice the fresh basil (or keep it whole if you like).
• 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!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel.
• Spoon the pesto onto the dough and spread it out with the back of the spoon. Then top with the mozzarella cheese in an even layer, then the Parmesan cheese. Add a pinch of dried basil and if you like, a sprinkle of kosher salt. (Most pesto is salty enough, but it depends on your pesto and cheese.)
• 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).
• Top with the basil leaves. Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

PIZZA WITH FRESH TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Position 1 oven rack in the center and the second rack on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Sprinkle the cornmeal over 2 rimless baking sheets. Roll out each piece of Pizza Dough into a 10 to 11-inch-diameter round. Transfer 1 dough to each prepared baking sheet.
• Drizzle 2 teaspoons of oil over each Pizza Dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the Pizza Dough, dividing equaling and leaving a 1-inch border around each pizza. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer over the cheese. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Arrange basil leaves on top, drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle garlic all over. Bake the pizzas until the crusts are crisp and brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted on top, about 15 minutes. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil over each pizza. Sprinkle with basil for garnish and salt. Cut the pizza into wedges and serve immediately.
• Mix the warm water and yeast in a small bowl to blend. Let stand until the yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Mix the flour and salt in a food processor to blend. Blend in the oil. With the machine running, add the yeast mixture and blend just until the dough forms. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm draft-free area until the dough doubles in volume, about 1 hour. Punch the down dough and divide into 2 equal balls. (The dough can be used immediately or stored airtight in the refrigerator for 1 day.)

CREAM CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• 1. ~~FOR SAUCE~~
• 2. in thick-bottomed saucepan sautee onions and garlic in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Add spices and sausage drippings. Fry for 1 minute.
• 3. Add tomato paste and combine. fry this mixture for about a minute (stirring) or until color begins to orange slightly. Add water, crushed tomatoes and bay leaf.
• 4. bring sauce to gentle boil, then reduce heat and cover for half an hour, stirring occasionaly. chill completely before using on pizza
• 5. ~~~NOTE~~~for sausage drippings: remove sausage from the casings of about 1/2 lb Italian sausage and fry in a fry pan. Reserve meat for toppings or another recipe. Use pan drippings for this sauce.
• 6. ~~For Pizza~~
• 7. if you have a pizza stone, put it in the 2nd from the bottom rack in the oven, and preheat to 550 degrees.
• 8. sprinkle pizza pan with flour. stretch dough out and lay on pan.
• 9. beginning in the middle, spoon on sauce and spread in outward circle until you've reached where you want your crust to start. I like less crust so i put the sauce almost to the edge. Be careful to use the sauce sparingly, as too much will make the pizza soggy.
• 10. next sprinkle a generous amount of oregano and pizza seasonings over the sauce.
• 11. crumble desired amount of cream cheese onto pizza. arrange pepperoni, then sliced tomato and basil leaves. top with mozzerella.
• 12. bake on top of pizza stone for 5 to 7 minutes, then turn pizza and bake for 2 more minutes.
• 13. slide pizza off pan and directly on stone and bake for another 2 to 3 minutes. remove from oven and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.

CREAMY GARLIC CHEESE PIZZA WITH FRESH BASIL

Steps:

• Mix garlic, ranch, and cayenne pepper together. Then spread it over the pizza crust leaving about 1 inch border of crust.
• Cover the pizza with mozzerella cheese. Then sprinkle the fresh basil leaves over the top.
• Bake at 350 F for approximately 15-25 minutes. Generally it takes about this long but the time can vary depending on the pizza crust being used.

FRESH TOMATO, BASIL, AND CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place pizza crush on a baking sheet.
• Brush crust with olive oil.
• Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge of crust.
• Arrange tomato slices over cheese, overlapping edges; top with garlic slices, 1/4 cup cheese, salt and pepper.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until crust is golden.
• Remove pizza to a cutting board, and top with fresh basil leaves.
• Let stand 5 minutes.
• Cut into 12 squares.