Grandma Pizza

Pizza abounds here in 'murica. We love our pizza. I love my pizza; so much so, I had this particular variety for my birthday dinner. It was stupendous, and I have a very specific reason for thinking so.

There are several things this pizza is. It's light, crispy, and delicious (as opposed to the generic heavy, gummy, and dull varieties we've all had). Its crust is perfection: chewy-crisp, the perfect canvas for cheese, tomatoes, and some herbs. Its name is also slightly strange, and this ought to be explained.

According to ATK, it originated in Long Island in the 1970s. A man requested a simple pizza like the one his Italian mother used to make. This lovely Italian lady, who clearly had never heard of Pizza Hut or Domino's, made a simple pizza with toppings of cheese, tomatoes, and basil. The pizzeria did as the man asked and made the pizza. It was so amazing that this simple pizza gained great popularity in the area and many pizzerias started making their own. Simplicity wins the day, in other words.

This recipe is brilliant because - and here comes my very specific reason for loving this recipe - as the pizza bakes, the tomatoes loose excess moisture and become very bright and flavorful. When tomatoes are covered by the cheese as in most conventional recipes, they are not exposed to the heat and thus don't lose that extra moisture. Make this recipe and you may not ever go back to "normal pizza." I for one, have been ruined for life.

Helpful tips:

If you have time, mix together the tomatoes, oil, garlic, oregano and salt a few hours before you make the pizza. It'll give the toppings more flavor.

Oiling the pizza pan make the crust extra crisp and delicious.

Grandma Pizza
Adjusted from The Best of America's Test Kitchens 2013
Serves 4-6

Dough
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups (8 1/4 ounces) bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Topping
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Moisten a paper towel with some olive oil, then smooth it over a baking sheet. Re-moisten as necessary until the baking sheet is covered. Whisk water and 1 tablespoon oil together. In a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together on low speed until well mixed. Run the mixer on low speed as you pour in the water mixture in a steady, slow stream. Then mix until the dough forms a cohesive mass, then increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is satiny and elastic. This should take about ten minutes.

Lay the dough on the oiled baking sheet and turn it over a few times to coat it in the oil. Carefully and gently push the dough into a rectangle using a small rolling pin. If you find the dough will absolutely not stretch out for you, let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes, then try again. This dough tends to be pretty malleable, so it shouldn't be a problem. Cover it with a towel or some Pam-coated plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until it has doubled in size. This could take up to 1 1/2 hours. In this time, the dough may shrink back from the corners a bit dough to corners of pan, so you may need to flatten it out again. After you have done this, let it rise again for about 45 minutes.

Heat oven to 500 degrees.

Drain tomatoes in strainer or colander, then place in a bowl and mix in oil, garlic, oregano, and salt in bowl. Put the mozzarella and Parmesan in another small bowl, then sprinkle over dough. Sprinkle the tomatoe/spice mixture over the cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and has begun to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Put the chopped basil on top, then let cool for a few minutes so it's not searingly hot when you try to take your first bite. Then you may safely and delightedly consume it.

Y