Homemade Pizza and Cooking Recipe | Start to Finish Pizza Recipe

How to make a pizza:
Step 1: Place a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack and preheat to 500 degrees.
Step 2: Stretch 1 pound dough on a floured pizza peel, large wooden cutting board or parchment paper.
Step 3: Top as desired, then slide the pizza (with the parchment paper, if using) onto the stone or baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Pizza Dough
Whisk 3 3/4 cups flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Make a well and add 1 1/3 cups warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 packet yeast. When foamy, mix in 3 tablespoons olive oil; knead until smooth, 5 minutes. Brush with olive oil, cover in a bowl and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Divide into two 1-pound balls. Use 1 pound per recipe unless noted.

1. Margherita Stretch dough into two thin 9-inch rounds. Top each with 1/2 cup crushed San Marzano tomatoes, dried oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil; bake until golden. Sprinkle with1/2 pound diced mozzarella, torn basil and salt. Bake until the cheese melts, then drizzle with olive oil.

2. Tomato Pie Make Margherita Pizzas (No. 1) without mozzarella or basil. Use extra oregano.

3. Quattro Stagioni Make Margherita Pizzas (No. 1); before adding cheese, top with olives, artichoke hearts, ham and sauteed mushrooms in 4 sections.

4. Puttanesca Make Margherita Pizzas (No. 1); chop 1 garlic clove, 6 anchovies, 1 tablespoon capers,1/4 cup olives and some parsley and scatter over the tomatoes before baking.

5. Roasted Pepper Make Margherita Pizzas (No. 1); add roasted pepper strips and red pepper flakes with the cheese.

6. New York-Style Press dough into an oiled 15-inch pizza pan. Drizzle with olive oil, then top with 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 2 cups shredded mozzarella. Bake, then garnish with pecorino, dried oregano and olive oil.

7. Pepperoni-Mushroom Make New York-Style Pizza (No. 6); top with sauteed mushrooms and sliced pepperoni before baking.

8. Sausage-Broccoli Rabe Make New York-Style Pizza (No. 6) with only 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Add 2 crumbled raw sausages. Bake until just crisp, then top with 4 ounces bocconcini, sauteed broccoli rabe and jarred cherry peppers. Bake until the cheese melts.

9. Stuffed Crust Make New York-Style Pizza (No. 6), but before topping, place 8 string-cheese sticks along the edge and fold the dough over. Brush the stuffed crust with olive oil and sprinkle with dried oregano.