The Dough

  • 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 packet (2½ teaspoons or ¼ ounce) instant yeast
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup very warm (110 degrees) water
  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled a bit
  • 2 tablespoons corn oil

Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, or by hand with a wooden spoon, mix the dry ingredients, then add the rest. Mix for only a minute after the dough forms a ball.

Close the dough up airtight in a plastic container or 2-gallon zipper-lock bag and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Plan to allow the dough to stand for 3 hours at room temperature before forming pizzas.

The Sauce

Puree in blender or food processor:

  • 1 28-ounce can San Marzano whole tomatoes in puree
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1½ teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons oregano
  • 1 clove garlic (officially unsanctioned but recommended)

The Toppings

Grate and combine:

  • 6 ounces mozzarella
  • 10 ounces sharp cheddar

Thinly slice other topping options—linguica, meatball, pepperoni, mushroom, green peppers, onion, etc—to taste.

Panning and Baking

Allow dough to come to room temperature, then divide in 4 equal lumps the size of baseballs (6½ ounces). Oil 10-inch pans well and roughly flatten dough balls into them. Cover and rest for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Press out dough to fill the pan to the edges; no need to turn up a rim. Poke the crust here and there with a fork.

Skim ⅓-½ cup of sauce onto each pizza, covering to the pan edge. Sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over the surface, and judiciously deploy toppings of choice.

Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until edges burn to taste. If your oven doesn’t bake perfectly evenly, you may need to spin the pies and shift them from rack to rack after 12 minutes or so.

Run a spatula or butter knife around the perimeter to loosen edges, then slide onto a cutting board for slicing.

Makes 4 bar pizzas, with enough sauce to spare for a future batch.

Be sure to check out Todd-Zilla’s instruction video here.