NY Style Pizza

While my nephew is visiting this week I taught him how to make the NY style pizza that I've come up with over the last six months, and he loved it as much as my guy. This will also help him save money when he goes home, as it costs only about $5.00 to make (less if you get the ingredients on sale.) Since he gave the recipe a thumbs-up I've decided to share it online.

Rayen's Homemade Pizza

For the dough:

2/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast (I use Fleischmann’s in the jar; keep in the fridge)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

Mix yeast, sugar and olive oil in the warm water. Add flour and salt, and mix by hand or in mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes.

Spray a medium bowl with PAM or other oil spray. Place dough in bowl, spray with top with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl of dough in larger bowl half-filled with hot water, cover everything with kitchen towel. Let the dough sit and rise for 1 hour (after 30 minutes change the water in the big bowl with hot water, and preheat your oven to 475F.)

For the pizza sauce:

14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1-1/2 teaspoons of dry basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Three shakes of pepper
Three shakes of salt
Mix together and let stand while the dough is rising so the herbs infuse the tomatoes. (Note: one 14.5 oz. can of crushed tomatoes plus the herbs makes enough sauce for three pizzas. Freeze the leftover sauce in two containers for future use.)

For the topping:

½ lb. whole milk mozzarella shredded (I buy the Great Value 1 lb. block at Wal-Mart and use it for two pizzas.)
Pepperoni, veggies, sausage, or whatever pizza toppings you like

Assembling the pizza:
Spray your pizza pan with PAM or cooking oil spray
Roll your dough into a ball and place in the center of the pan
Using your fist, spread the dough out by mashing it down and working it out toward the edges of the pan in a circular motion.
Once the crust is shaped, add one ladle of pizza sauce (or 1/2 cup) and spread over crust in a circular motion. It won’t look like enough but it is.
Top your pizza sauce with the shredded mozzarella
Top your mozzarella with your other toppings.
Spray a little olive oil on top if desired

Bake your pizza at 475F for 12 minutes. Enjoy!