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We’ve made a lot of homemade pizza, but this simple version won raves from the whole family. The dough recipe comes from Peter Reinhart’s great book on pizza, “American Pie” while the sauce was created on the spot and seemed to hit just the right note.

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the dough
5 cups unbleached bread flour
3 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons cool water (65° Fahrenheit)
5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
For the sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
For the toppings
Freshly grated dry aged cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, or a combination
Fresh whole milk mozzarella cheese (like you would use for caprese salad, not the low-moisture part-skim variety)
Extra virgin olive oil

Prepare the dough

1. With a mixing spoon stir together the flour, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and olive oil and stir together to combine.

2. Did one hand into water so the dough doesn’t stick, then work the dough in the bowl with the wet hand, turning the bowl with the other hand, until it forms a coarse ball and all the flour is incorporated. This will take about 4 minutes.

3. Let the dough rest 5 minutes, then resume mixing it for another 3 minutes or so until the dough is supple and slightly sticky. You can also knead the dough on an un-floured surface rather than working it in the bowl.

4. Transfer the dough to a floured counter, dust the top with flour, then gather the four corners together to form the dough into a ball.

5. Place the dough into a bowl that has been oiled with olive oil, then turn it over to coat the other side with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit out for 1 ½ hours at room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

6. About 2 hours before you are planning to make the pizzas, remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer it to a floured counter. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. Round each piece into a ball and rub it with olive oil.

7. Place each oiled ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let the dough balls sit at room temperature for two hours.

Make the sauce

1. Puree the tomatoes in a blender

2. Mince the garlic and sauté in the olive oil over medium heat until fragrant

3. Add the pureed tomato and the herbs to the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes

4. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Set aside to cool.

Make the pizzas

1. An hour before you want to make the pizzas, place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 450° Fahrenheit

2. While the stone is preheating, slice the mozzarella into ¾ inch slices, then cut each slice into cubes

3. Take one of the dough balls at a time and leave the others covered

4. Place the dough ball on a floured counter and dust the top with more flour

5. Push the dough down into a disc, pat it between your hands, then work it on the counter and stretch it out, turning as you go, until stretched very thin and slightly thicker at the edges. It should be nearly transparent in the middle. No matter if it doesn’t turn out especially round.

6. Place the dough on a pizza peel dusted with a mixture of flour and corn meal

7. Spread 3 tablespoons or so of sauce on the dough, leaving ¼ inch border around the edge

8. Distribute a handful of mozzarella evenly over the pizza, then sprinkle on some of the dry aged cheese

9. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then slide the pizza onto the preheated stone

10. Bake 9 minutes, then slide the pizza onto a cutting board and let cool for two minutes. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.