I picked up some fresh mozzarella last weekend and couldn’t think of a better way to eat it than on homemade pizza! =) Fresh mozzarella can’t be beat. It melts so beautifully and has a delicious, almost buttery flavor. Combine that with pesto and fresh basil and you’ve got a flavor combination that’s hard to beat. Because sometimes you want pizza with allthethings, but sometimes you just want the basics. Seriously, one of my best homemade pizzas ever! Enjoy!
Tomato Basil Pesto Pizza
1 pound pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
3-4 small tomatoes, sliced thin (any variety you choose)
3-4 tbsp pesto
fresh basil leaves
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place pizza stone in oven and let heat for at least 30 minutes.
2. While stone is heating, let pizza dough come to room temperature. Once dough is room temperature, place dough on large piece of parchment paper that has been dusted with cornmeal. Sprinkle top of dough with additional cornmeal and press into large circle (or square, rectangle, etc). You can make the crust as thick or thin as you like.
3. Spread pesto over shaped dough. Top with sliced cheese and tomatoes. Place (parchment paper and all!) on preheated stone and bake in center of 500 degree oven for 10-11 minutes or until top and bottom are lightly brown. (Starting the dough on the parchment paper makes it easy to slide onto the hot stone. Just trim any excess parchment paper off before you bake to prevent burning in the super hot oven.)
4. Remove from oven and top with fresh basil. Cut into slices.
