FOR THE CRUST - 2 pizza disks (4 pieces each)
3/4 cup of warm water (180 ml)
1 packet of fresh active dry yeast (15 g) crumbled or 1 tablespoon of instant yeast
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (300 g)
1/4 cup of olive oil (60 ml)
1 teaspoon of salt
Olive oil for greasing
FOR THE TOPPING
4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (400 g)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (60 g)
FOR THE PESTO
3 cups of fresh basil leaves (240 g)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of pine nuts or chopped almonds (60 g)
1 cup of olive oil (240 ml)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (60 g)
1/4 cup of grated pecorino Romano cheese (30 g)
Salt to taste
FOR THE CRUST - 2 pizza disks (4 pieces each)
3/4 cup of warm water (180 ml)
1 packet of fresh active dry yeast (15 g) crumbled or 1 tablespoon of instant yeast
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (300 g)
1/4 cup of olive oil (60 ml)
1 teaspoon of salt
Olive oil for greasing
FOR THE TOPPING
4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (400 g)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (60 g)
FOR THE PESTO
3 cups of fresh basil leaves (240 g)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of pine nuts or chopped almonds (60 g)
1 cup of olive oil (240 ml)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (60 g)
1/4 cup of grated pecorino Romano cheese (30 g)
Salt to taste
MAKE THE CRUST:
1 Place the warm water in a bowl and add the yeast
2 Stir gently with a spoon until it dissolves
3 Add 1 cup of flour, olive oil, and salt
Mix well with a wooden spoon
4 Add more 1 cup of flour and mix well
The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl and be sticky
5 Transfer to a smooth surface dusted with remaining flour
Knead in until the dough comes away from your hands, is smooth, and elastic
6 Make a ball with the dough and place it in a bowl with 2 liters capacity, greased with olive oil
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes or until doubled in volume
7 Punch down the dough with your hands, place on a floured surface, and knead for 1 minute
8 Divide the dough into two parts and roll out each part into two disks
9 Place each disk onto a baking sheet greased with olive oil and dusted with flour
Let rise for another 10 to 20 minutes
10 Bake in a preheated oven at 250°C for 20 minutes, or until the crust is firm (do not let it brown)
TOAST THE CRUST: Brush the two disks of dough with olive oil
Spread half of the mozzarella cheese on each disk, leaving a 1.5 cm border
11 Place in a hot oven at 250°C for 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown
MAKE THE PESTO: Blend the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts or almonds, and olive oil in a blender or food processor
12 Add Parmesan and pecorino Romano cheese
Blend again and season with salt
13 Spread over the mozzarella cheese and dust with Parmesan cheese
14 Calorie count per slice: 751
Note: Pecorino Romano is a hard, sheep's milk cheese with a black rind, similar in flavor to Parmesan.
