May 17, 2014

The Best New York Style Cheese Pizza

Name: The Best New York Style Cheese Pizza
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: 1 Pizza
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 and 3/4 cups bread flour; 1 and 1/4 teaspoons sugar; 1 envelope active dry yeast; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 and 1/2 cups water, 110 - 115 degrees (F); 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 cup onion, chopped; 2 stalks celery, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce; 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste; 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded then frozen

This New York Style Cheese Pizza Recipe features a chewy crust, sweet and tangy sauce, and plenty of gooey cheese! This pizza is almost identical to the famous slices sold on the streets of New York. And so much better than delivery!

Cheese Pizza Recipe

Greetings from Sicily! We’re finally here. And you guys… I’m never leaving! Everything about this place is perfect. I’m so happy we have 6 more days before heading to Rome. During this time I will be putting all of my effort into eating as much as humanly possible. Priorities! Also, I will be mentally storing recipe ideas. I think an Italian week is a must. Don’t you?

But enough about Italy. Today’s post is all about New York. More specifically, New York-Style Cheese Pizza! Have you ever had a slice? It is pizza perfection.

New York Pizza Dough Recipe

Great pizza starts with great pizza dough! For the crust you’ll need:

Bread Flour: This is a high-gluten flour that has a tiny amount of barley flour and vitamin C added. The barley flour helps the yeast activate, and the vitamin C increases the elasticity of the gluten and its ability to retain gas as the dough rises and bakes. Bread flour is typically used for recipes like pizza dough and garlic knots because of the chewiness that the extra gluten provides.
Sugar: Granulated sugar works best here.
Active dry yeast: Be sure your yeast is not expired.
Kosher salt: Table salt will also work.
Water: Use a thermometer to ensure the temperature is between 110 and 115 degrees (F).
Olive Oil: You’ll need this for the crust as well as greasing the bowl the dough will rise in.

Best Cheese for Pizza

No surprise here: Mozzarella!!! I suggest using low-moisture mozzarella cheese, which has been aged for longer and has a lower water content than fresh mozzarella. Which means your pizza is less likely to bake up soggy when using it. I also love low-moisture mozzarella because it melts great and has a delicious salty/tangy flavor to it.

Pro Tip: Freeze your cheese! I know that sounds crazy, but it’s key. Because freezing your cheese helps it melt slower, resulting in a perfectly gooey cheese pizza! Try it at least once!

Pizza Sauce

For this tangy homemade sauce, you’ll need:

Olive Oil
Yellow Onion
Celery
Garlic
Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
Parmesan Cheese
Dried Basil
Dried Oregano
Salt
Sugar
Black Pepper

How to Make Cheese Pizza

Although this recipe may seem like a lot of work for a simple cheese pizza, all of the steps can be done ahead of time. The pizza dough makes enough for 2 pizzas! And you can freeze the pizza dough and sauce for up to 2 months! So then all you’ll need to do is thaw, assemble, and bake! And I promise it’s worth your effort! Because although delivery pizza can be delicious, nothing hits the spot like homemade cheese pizza! For a real New York dining experience, enjoy a slice of The Best New York-Style Cheesecake for dessert!

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