New york style Pizza

I have been making pizza  on and off since a long time and they tasted great all the time but look wise I was always disappointed. I wanted a pizza that looked like dominos pizza or pizza hut's pizza, but  they always come out of the oven as a bummer but that doesnt mean that it didn't taste good.We always enjoy homemade ones to the core  but  the picture wont be good enough to post.

It has been a while since I made  pizza at home, so this time when the Baking partners choose pizza I was  very much looking forward to take picture and post it. Unlike the usual pizza dough which I have tried before, this one wanted the dough to rise for 24 hours so I kept postponing making this till last minute. I did follow the recipe to the dot and the pizza tasted really yummy but still  look wise I was not happy this time too. I think now after making several pizza's  I have come to the conclusion that I should make my pizza bigger which might give a better look than making two smaller ones.

Recipe source - Serious eats

Recipe suggested by - Archana of Tangy minds

Ingredients (serves 3 )

For pizza dough ( for  1 very large pizza or 2 small ones )

Bread flour - 2 1/4 cup

Sugar - 3/4 tsp

Salt - 1 1/ 2 tsp

Instant yeast - 1 tsp

Olive oil - 2 tbs

Lukewarm water - 1 cup

For new york style pizza sauce

Peeled plum tomatoes - 1 can

Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbs

Unsalted butter - 1 tbs

Garlic cloves - 2 medium (grated )

Dried oregano - 1tsp

Red pepper flakes - pinch 

Salt

Basil leaves - 2 sprigs

Onion - 1  medium (chopped )

Sugar - 1 tsp

salt - as required 

Ingredients for topping

Mozzarella cheese - 150 gm ( kept in freezer for 15 mins)

Parmesan cheese -50 gm ( kept in freezer for 15 mins)

Vegetables or meat of your choice( I used pepperoni )

Method

Making the Dough

• In a bowl combine bread flour, salt, olive oil, sugar and yeast and add lukewarm water to it and knead well for about 10 -15 minutes until smooth . At this point  the dough should strech very thinly and ideally it should  pass the window pane test. You can read more about window pane test here.
• Place the dough in the fridge and allow it to rise for minimum 24 hours or upto 5 days and remember to take it out of the fridge atleast 2 hours before baking to  bring the dough to room temperature.

Making of Sauce

• Puree the canned tomatoes in a blender ( not a  completely smooth kind of puree ) and keep it aside.
• In a pan add butter and olive oil and when butter melts add grated garlic, oregano, pepper flakes , pinch of salt and cook for about 3 minutes.
• Add tomato puree, basil sprigs, chopped onions and sugar and bring it to simmer and cook for about 1 hour stirring in between until the sauce thickens a bit and has reduced to half. Add salt.

Assembling

• Take the dough and press it into a roughly 8 inch circle leaving outer edge a little higher than the rest.
• Strech the circle with knuckle until you get a 14-15 inch circle.
• Transfer the pizza into a baking pan /baking tray.
• Spread the  pizza sauce evenly on the pizza leaving the outer edge.
• Take the cheese out of the freezer and spread the cheese on top of the sauce.
• Place the toppings of your choice on top.
• Bake the pizza in a preheated oven at 260 or full blast for 10-15 minutes until cheese has melted and is bubbly and the crust has browned and puffed.