Traditional Recipe

Activate yeast & mix

Combine warm water (about 100–110°F / 38–43°C), instant yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes until slightly foamy. If no foam appears, the yeast may be inactive — start again with fresh yeast.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and fine sea salt.

Form dough

Make a well in the flour, pour in the foamy yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook on medium-low for 6–7 minutes. Add a teaspoon of flour or a few drops of water only if necessary.

First rise

Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, turning once to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Shape

Punch down the dough and divide it (this recipe makes one 12–14" pizza or two smaller pizzas). For a single pizza, gently stretch and shape the dough on a lightly floured surface or use your hands to press into a circle roughly 12–14 inches. Transfer onto a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal or onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cook sauce

While the dough rises, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Simmer

Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cool slightly

Remove sauce from heat and let cool 5–10 minutes. The sauce should be thick but spoonable — if too thin, simmer a few more minutes.

Preheat oven

Place a pizza stone or an inverted heavy baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes. If your oven does not reach 500°F, preheat to its highest setting.

Top the pizza

Spread a thin layer (about 3/4 cup) of the prepared tomato sauce evenly over the stretched dough, leaving a 1/2–1 inch rim for the crust. Distribute the torn or sliced fresh mozzarella evenly over the sauce. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the cheese.

Bake

Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or baking sheet and bake 8–12 minutes, rotating halfway if needed, until the crust is golden and blistered and the cheese is melted and bubbling with some brown spots. Baking time varies by oven and thickness of the dough.

Finish

Remove pizza from oven. Scatter fresh basil leaves over the hot pizza, drizzle with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, and lightly sprinkle coarse salt if desired. Let rest 2–3 minutes, then slice and serve.