Market Street Cheese Recipe
Our own hand-tossed traditional New York style cheese pizza
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Dough
Sauce
Topping
Method
Dough
- 1
Activate yeast
In a small bowl, combine warm water (1.5 cups), sugar (1 tsp) and active dry yeast (2 tsp). Stir gently and let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy and fragrant.
- 2
Mix dough
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk together flour (4 cups) and salt (2 tsp). Make a well and add the yeast mixture and olive oil (2 tbs). Mix until a shaggy dough forms, about 2–3 minutes by mixer or 4–6 minutes by hand.
- 3
Knead
Knead on medium speed or on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6–8 minutes by machine or 8–10 minutes by hand. Dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky; add up to 2 tbs additional flour if excessively sticky.
- 4
First rise
Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
- 5
Divide and rest
Punch the dough down and divide into two equal portions for two 12–14" New York–style pizzas (or keep whole for one large). Shape each portion into a tight ball. Place on a lightly oiled tray, cover, and rest 30 minutes to relax the gluten for hand-tossing.
Sauce
- 6
Combine sauce ingredients
While the dough rises, combine crushed tomatoes (1.5 cups), tomato paste (1 tbs), olive oil (1 tbs), minced garlic (1 tsp), dried oregano (1 tsp), dried basil (1 tsp), sugar (0.5 tsp), salt (0.5 tsp) and black pepper (0.25 tsp) in a bowl.
- 7
Taste and adjust
Stir the sauce, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. For an authentic NY-style pizza, keep the sauce slightly bright and not overly cooked—no need to simmer for long; 10 minutes over low heat is optional to meld flavors, then cool to room temperature.
Assemble & Bake
- 8
Preheat oven and prepare peel/pan
Place a pizza stone or steel on the middle rack and preheat the oven to its highest setting (500–550°F / 260–290°C) for at least 45 minutes. If using a pizza pan or sheet, preheat oven to 475–500°F (245–260°C). Dust a pizza peel or baking sheet with cornmeal or semolina (about 1–2 tbs).
- 9
Hand-toss and shape
On a lightly floured surface, press one dough ball into a 12–14" circle. Using your fingers, stretch from the center outward leaving a slightly thicker 1/2–3/4" rim. Hand-toss gently if confident—let gravity do most of the stretch to keep an even thin center and a defined crust. If dough resists, rest 5–10 minutes and try again.
- 10
Sauce and cheese
Place the shaped dough on the cornmeal-dusted peel. Brush the outer 1/2" crust lightly with olive oil (about 1 tsp). Spoon 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the sauce into the center and spread evenly with the back of the spoon, leaving the rim bare. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauced surface (about 2 cups per pizza for a classic NY cheese pizza; use 4 cups total if making two pizzas). Lightly finish with grated Parmesan (about 1–2 tbs) and a small pinch of crushed red pepper if desired.
- 11
Bake
Slide pizza onto the preheated stone or place the pan in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden with some charred spots and the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 7–10 minutes at 500–550°F on a stone (8–12 minutes on a sheet at 475–500°F). Rotate the pizza halfway through for even browning.
- 12