Fresh Pizza

I've been making New York-style pizza for over 10 years, and this recipe is the result of years of practice and refinement. Every component is made from scratch using carefully selected ingredients to achieve the texture, flavor, and appearance I'm after. If you love making pizza at home, this is the recipe I keep coming back to.

Prep Time About 3 hours (plus rising time)

Cook Time 20–25 minutes (including sauce) + pizza bake

Total Time Varies based on dough rise

Servings 2 pizzas

Watch the Video

Ingredients

500 g (17.6 oz / about 4 cups) all-purpose flour
350 g (12.3 oz / 1½ cups) water
3 g (1 tsp) active dry or instant yeast
7 g (1¼ tsp) salt
1 (28 oz / 794 g) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 large pinch dried basil (or a few fresh basil leaves)
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz (225 g) whole milk mozzarella, hand-shredded

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead until smooth and elastic.
Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
Divide into individual dough balls and let rest until relaxed and easy to stretch.
Add the olive oil to a pot over medium heat.
Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes and basil, then increase the heat to medium-high.
Simmer for 15–20 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Stretch the dough into a pizza.
Spread on a thin layer of sauce.
Top with the hand-shredded mozzarella.
Bake on a preheated pizza stone or steel at 475°F (250°C) until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbling.

Chef’s Notes

This recipe reflects more than a decade of refining my ideal New York-style pizza. Every ingredient and technique has been chosen to create the flavor, texture, and appearance I enjoy most. Bake times will vary depending on your oven and baking surface.

Equipment Used

Mixing bowl
Kitchen scale
Pot
Pizza stone or pizza steel
Home oven