Family Favorite Cheese Pizza Food

HOW TO MAKE A CLASSIC CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• After you've made the dough, divide it in half and let come to room temperature, uncovered, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, place a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the oven floor and preheat to 500˚.
• On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll out 1 piece of dough into a 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Dust a pizza peel or another inverted baking sheet with cornmeal and lay the dough on top.
• Spread half of the sauce on the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Top with half of the provolone, then with half each of the mozzarella and parmesan.
• Slide the pizza onto the hot stone or baking sheet and bake until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings. Makes 2 12-inch pizzas.

DAD'S FAVORITE PIZZA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine butter, eggs, grated Parmesan, salt, yeast mixture and 2 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; let rest for 5 minutes. Grease a 12-in. deep-dish cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough into pan; build up edges slightly., Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, cook beef, sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender, breaking up meat into crumbles, 8-10 minutes; drain. Spread pizza sauce over dough to within 1 in. of edges; sprinkle with meat mixture. Top with the mushrooms, pepperoni, ham, olives, mozzarella and shredded Parmesan., Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted, 30-35 minutes.

CHEESE PIZZA

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.