New York-Style Cheese Pizza with Oregano Tomato Sauce
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and America's Test Kitchen.
Two large, thin pizzas with a crisp, chewy crust made from a cold-fermented dough, topped with a garlicky oregano tomato sauce, Parmesan and bubbling mozzarella. Perfect for folding and eating by the slice.
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Method
- 1
Make the dough. Between 1 and 3 days ahead, pulse the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the food processor, then, with the motor running, pour in the water and oil and process for 30 seconds until a ball forms and rides around the blade. Alternatively, mix in a bowl and knead by hand for 10 minutes. Knead briefly on the worktop until smooth; the oil and sugar help the crust brown and stay tender.
- 2
Divide and chill. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces of about 390g, shape each into a ball and put it in an oiled container or bag. Refrigerate for 24-72 hours. The long cold rest builds flavour and a chewy, blistered crust.
- 3
Warm the dough. About 2 hours before baking, reshape each ball, dust with flour and leave covered at room temperature. It is ready when soft and about 1.5 times its original size. Relaxed, warm dough stretches thin without tearing.
- 4
Heat the stone. Put the stone or steel on the upper-middle shelf and heat the oven to 260°C (fan 240°C), or its maximum, for at least 45 minutes. A thoroughly heated stone crisps the base quickly. An oven thermometer helps confirm the oven is really that hot.
- 5
Blend the sauce. Drain the tomatoes in the sieve for 10 minutes and discard the juice, then blend with the oil, garlic, oregano and chilli until smooth. The one can makes about 290ml, enough for 2 pizzas at about 145ml each. Leaving the sauce uncooked keeps its flavour fresh, as it cooks on the pizza in the oven.
- 6
Stretch the base. On a floured surface, press one ball into a 20cm disc, leaving the outer 2cm thicker. Drape it over your knuckles and stretch it, turning, to a thin 35cm round, then lay it on the semolina-dusted peel. Stretching over your knuckles thins the middle while keeping the rim intact.
- 7
Add the toppings. Spread half the sauce thinly to within 1.5cm of the edge, then scatter half the Parmesan and half the chilled mozzarella right out to the sauce line. Cheese that has been chilled melts more slowly, so it bubbles and browns in spots without turning greasy.
- 8
Bake until spotty. Slide the pizza onto the stone and bake for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway, until the crust is deep golden and puffed and the cheese bubbles with brown spots. Lift a corner to check the underside is browned and crisp.
- 9
Rest, slice and repeat. Move the pizza to a board, rest for 2 minutes, then cut into 8 large slices. The short rest lets the cheese set so it does not slide off. Let the stone reheat for 5 minutes before shaping, topping and baking the second pizza; fold a slice lengthways to eat it the classic way.
Storage
Cool leftovers within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot oven or a dry frying pan until piping hot (74°C) for a crisp base.
Equipment
- food processor or large bowl
- 2 lidded containers or freezer bags
- pizza stone or baking steel (or a heavy baking tray turned upside down)
- pizza peel or flat rimless baking sheet
- sieve
- stick blender or food processor
- pizza wheel
- oven thermometer (recommended: many ovens run cooler than the dial at their maximum)
- large board
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 533 kcal |
| Protein | 22.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 61.2 g |
| of which sugars | 4 g |
| of which free sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 21.8 g |
| of which saturates | 9.7 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
| Salt | 2.32 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
4.2 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
