Ingredients

Fresh Tomato Sauce

• 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano (whole, peeled, without basil) tomatoes
• 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt

Mix all ingredients in a large container. Using an immersion blender, blend until tomatoes and oil are combined. If you do not have an immersion blender use a traditional blender or even a food mill. This sauce should be silky and thoroughly pureed, not chunky.

Pizza Dough

• 4 cups “Caputo 00” pizzeria flour or all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons salt
• ½ tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 ½ cups ice-cold water*
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Combine all dry ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer and add water and oil. Make sure not to pour the cold water directly onto the yeast. Using cold water stunts the growth of the yeast so the fermentation happens slowly, creating a more flavorful dough. Mix on the lowest speed for 3 minutes and then on the highest speed for 5 minutes. The mixing action creates friction and heats the dough, which activates the yeast. If you do not have a mixer, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and work them by hand until a loose dough ball forms. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead aggressively for 7 to 10 minutes, adding flour when dough seems too wet. Please note this dough by nature is wet and can be difficult to handle.

2. Cover the dough and let rise for 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size. Punch down dough and form into a large ball, then cut into 4 equal pieces.

3. Form a dough ball by gently rolling one of the dough pieces in the pal m of your hand. Be sure to stretch the top of the ball down and around the rest of the ball, until the outer layer wraps around the other side. Pinch the two ends together to make a smooth ball. Repeat with remaining 3 balls. Dust pizza balls with flour, and store under a damp towel, in a proofing tray, or on a sheet pan covered with plastic wrap. This will prevent the outside of the ball from drying out and creating a crust. The top of the pizza ball should be soft and supple.

4. Let pizza balls rest in a cool place for at least 1 hour before stretching. If you will not be using your pizza balls right away you can refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze them in individual plastic freezer bags.

Georgia Three-Cheese Pizza

• Stretch dough to approximately 14 inches round and spread a thin layer of sauce over dough. Sprinkle evenly with cheese and top with fresh basil. Drizzle with half the oil.
• Pull pizza onto a peel and cook in a wood-fired oven or super-hot (500°F or hotter) conventional oven. Cook until dough is nice and charred and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining oil. Slice and serve.

Bacon and Kale

• Stretch dough to approximately 14 inches round and spread 2 tablespoons oil over dough. Evenly distribute kale, cheese, and bacon over pie. Be careful to nicely cover kale with cheese or it will burn and taste bitter.
• Pull pizza onto a peel and cook in a wood fired oven or super-hot (500°F or hotter) conventional oven until nicely charred and cheese just starts to melt. Slice and serve.