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Cheese Pizza

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main courses•american•vegetarian, contains dairy, contains gluten
2 hours 30 minutes•1 14-inch pizza (8 slices)•

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups bread flour (330g)
  • 14 tbsp warm water
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar (4.2g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 clove garlic – finely grated or minced
  • 1 tbsp semolina flour
  • 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella – shredded
  • 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese – finely grated
Cheese Pizza

Instructions

  1. 1.

    In a large bowl, whisk the bread flour, instant yeast, sugar, and kosher salt to combine.

  2. 2.

    Add the warm water and 1 tbsp of the olive oil, stir with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then let rest 10 minutes.

  3. 3.

    Knead on a counter until smooth and elastic, 7–10 minutes; shape into a tight ball, lightly coat a bowl with some of the remaining oil, place the dough inside, turn to coat, cover, and let rise until doubled, 1–2 hours at room temperature.

  4. 4.

    For the sauce, drain the canned whole peeled tomatoes briefly, crush by hand, and stir in the fine sea salt, dried oregano, and garlic.

  5. 5.

    Set a baking stone or steel on an upper-middle rack and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) for at least 45 minutes.

  6. 6.

    Dust a pizza peel with the semolina flour; gently stretch the risen dough into a 14-inch round and lay it on the prepared peel, keeping a 1-inch rim.

  7. 7.

    Spread a thin layer of the sauce over the dough, top evenly with the low-moisture mozzarella, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese; brush the rim with the remaining oil.

  8. 8.

    Launch the pizza onto the hot stone and bake until the crust is well browned and the cheese is bubbling with a few golden spots, 8–12 minutes, rotating once halfway.

  9. 9.

    Cool 2–3 minutes on a rack, slice, and serve hot.

Cheese pizza is a study in balance and restraint: a tender, chewy crust with a crisp edge, a bright tomato sauce, and a blanket of molten, stretchy mozzarella with a savory hint of aged cheese. The pleasure comes from contrast—tart, lightly seasoned tomatoes against rich dairy and a toasty, aromatic crust. When executed well, every bite is clean and satisfying rather than heavy, showcasing wheat, milk, and tomatoes in equal measure.

Though pizza traces its roots to Naples, cheese-centric pies became a defining staple of American pizzerias throughout the 20th century. In New York and beyond, slice shops perfected a style tailored to deck ovens and long bake times, favoring low-moisture mozzarella for ideal melt and browning. This version distills that lineage: an uncooked tomato sauce, a hot stone or steel to mimic a pizzeria deck, and a focus on texture and balance that made the cheese slice an icon.