Crispy Homemade Pizza Recipe

Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups|560 ml olive oil 
5 ounces|145 grams raw mushrooms, thinly sliced button or loosely torn exotics
1 small yellow onion, peeled and sliced thinly
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 ounces|65 grams pickled hot Italian cherry peppers 
2 sprigs fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 (15-ounce|425 gram) can whole peeled tomatoes
2 balls of your favorite pizza dough (about 12 ounces|350 grams each)…(we recommend picking some up from your local pizza shop or grocery store)
all-purpose flour, for dusting
semolina flour, for dusting
10 slices of your favorite pepperoni (thin or thick cut)
1 ½ cups|175 grams shredded low-moisture mozzarella

Directions

1. Heat oven to 500°F. Place a (10-inch) nonstick skillet in the oven to heat up and keep in there until you are ready to cook your pizza.
2. Fill a medium saucepan with 2 cups|500 ml olive oil, the mushrooms, and onion. Heat over medium-high until you start to see bubbles, then reduce the heat to low and leave for 10 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and onions well on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the remaining olive oil, the cherry peppers, basil, and tomatoes in the bowl of a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. To knead the dough, dust each dough ball liberally with flour so that it doesn't stick. Then, position your fingers as if you are about to play the piano and start pressing your fingers into the dough as you spread it and shape it into a flat circle about 12-inches in diameter (depending on the thickness you desire).
5. Take a sheet pan and invert it (so it's upside down) and dust lightly with semolina flour and place your dough on top. Now it is ready to be topped.
6. You’ll need to work quickly so that the dough doesn’t get too warm and stick too much. We recommend topping one ball of dough at a time. To dress your pizza, spread ¼ cup|75 grams tomato sauce on each pie, starting in the center and slowing spooning around to the edges as desired. Then dot the pepperoni, mushrooms and onions, strategically placing on pizza in desired fashion. Sprinkle ¾ cup|65 grams mozzarella over each pizza.
7. Now your pizza is ready to be transferred to the hot skillet. Using a dry towel, carefully remove the pan from the oven and quickly slide your pizza from your sheet pan into the dry skillet. The cheese might slide off a bit, and that’s ok! It will make it really crispy and delicious. Just try to carefully slide it back on. Place the skillet immediately in the oven and cook until the crust is firm, about 7 minutes. To check for doneness, carefully use a spatula to lift the edge while still in the pan to check for firmness. It should appear blistered and the cheese should be bubbling.
8. Once ready, remove onto a baking rack to rest for a few minutes, then garnish with the basil leaves to serve.

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