Making New York-style pizza has definitely become an art form over the past century, ever since Italian immigrants came to NY in the early 1900s. Mine came from Napoli, and along with them this recipe, which is similar to Neapolitan-style pizza—a thin crust pie, but slightly thicker and tender. The crust is not so thin that becomes cracker-like; it's thicker and features a chewy crust because of the olive oil in the dough. The key to great NY-style pizza is making the dough correctly: made ahead of time so you can bake in 1 to 3 days. This allows the dough to ferment, which gives it its unforgettable flavor.

• 16 oz Mozzerella cheese, freshly shredded (Low-moisture, whole milk)

• 2 TBSN preferred butter, melted

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to oil pizza stone)

• Optional: Garlic powder, Onion powder, pizza toppings, grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, oregano, parsley

To make the Pizza Dough:

• 2/3 cup lukewarm drinking water

• 1 TBSN granulated sugar

• One 1/8 oz package of active dry yeast

• 1 cup of bread flour

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 1 TBSN Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

To make the Pizza Sauce:

• One 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes with juice (I recommend Centi canned tomatoes)

• One 6 oz can tomato paste

• 2 TBSN Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 TBSN unsalted butter

• 2 TBSN chopped fresh basil (or 2 t. dried)

• 2 TBSN dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons basil

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered

Small mixing bowl, mixing spoon, measuring spoons, pizza baking stone or 16" diameter baking pan, measuring cups, large Ziplock bag, food processor, large saucepan, pizza peel, optional: rolling pin Prep: 60 minutes prep, 1-3 days to ferment, 2 hours sit before baking Cook: 20 minutes Serves: 1 12-15" pie

Step 1: Make the Pizza Dough

1. Combine lukewarm drinking water and sugar in small bowl; stir to dissolve sugar.

TIP: Do not use cold water, it must be warm to appropriately mix with the yeast. Adding sugar helps the crust to brown more evenly for a golden and flavorful crust.

2. Sprinkle yeast on top; stir to combine.

3. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes or until foamy.

4. Combine bread flour and salt in medium bowl.

TIP: Bread flour is high in gluten and essential for a great pizza. You may substitute with all purpose flour if necessary but it won't turn out as well.

5. Stir in yeast mixture and mix until mixture forms soft dough.

6. Remove dough to lightly floured surface.

7. Knead 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic, adding additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed.

8. Place dough in medium bowl coated with olive oil.

9. Turn dough in bowl and knead olive oil into the dough; cover with towel or plastic wrap.

TIP: Make sure to thoroughly knead in the olive oil, which will allows the dough to hydrate properly and have a more tender crust when baked.

10. Let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

11. Punch dough down; place on lightly floured surface and knead about 2 minutes or until smooth.

12. Place dough into a large Ziplock freezer bag and remove as much air as possible when sealing.

13. Place in refrigerator and allow to rise at least 1 day, and up to 3. New York-style dough needs to “ferment” or “cure” in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to 36 hours. This is called a “cold rise” (instead of a warm rise on your kitchen counter). The refrigerator is used to slow the dough’s fermentation, allowing that distinctive flavor to come through When your dough rises too quickly, the flavor will not develop optimally.

TIP: I recommend allowing the dough to cure for 3 days to get the best results. This allows the dough to ferment in the refrigerator for 36 hours allowing enough time for a “cold rise” instead of a warm rise on your kitchen counter. Having the dough slow rise will give you much better flavor.

Step 2: Make the Sauce

1. In a food processor, pulse the diced tomatoes with juice, onion quarters, butter, tomato paste, olive oil, basil, oregano, sugar, red pepper flakes, garlic, and salt.

2. Blend ingredients until it forms into a puree.

3. Cook sauce in a large saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to lowest setting, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour.

5. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

TIP: The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon but thin enough to spread easily on the pizza.

6. Use immediately or store in a air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

7. Let cool and store unused portion in a container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or pour into Ziplock bags and freeze.

TIP: After mixing the sauce ingredients, it does help to let the sauce sit for a while in the refrigerator to let the flavors ferment.

8. Bring sauce to room temperature before adding to pizza dough.

Step 3: Make the Pizza

1. Remove from refrigerator, shape into balls, and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before baking.

2. Sprinkle flour into the pizza peel before placing the dough on top.

3. Pat dough into a flat circle, about 7 inches in diameter, and let rest 5 minutes.

4. Press and gently stretch dough from edges until dough seems to not stretch anymore, then let rest 5 minutes.

5. Continue patting and stretching until dough is 12 to 15 inches in diameter.

TIP: If you need to use a rolling pin to help stretch out the dough; this may work better for you instead of stretching.

6. Brush the outside crust edges with melted butter.

TIP: Sprinkle garlic or onion powder for extra flavor in the crust.

7. Spread pizza sauce on pizza dough as preferred. Do not use too much pizza sauce or it will make your pizza soggy. I recommend a thin layer of sauce, about 1/8".

8. Sprinkle the pie with freshly shredded Mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle enough so that you still see small areas of sauce; Don't completely cover the pie with so much cheese that you cannot see any sauce. This will achieve that marbled NY pizza appearance.

TIP: I recommend freshly shredded instead of prepackaged shredded cheese. Do not use low fat cheese to top your pizza. Use low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella.

9. Optional: Add a small amount of your favorite toppings, such as pepperoni, ground sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc. Do not add too much or it will be too heavy for the thin crust.

Step 4: Bake the Pizza

1. Preheat oven at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for about 1 hour to ensure consistent heating throughout the oven.

2. Spray 12- to 14-inch pizza pan with nonstick spray or place pizza stone in oven during preheating.

TIP: I recommend using a pizza stone because they draw moisture out of the dough and produce a beautifully crisp crust. Before preheating, lightly brush it with olive oil, this will help the bottom of the pizza to get a crispy texture. Place the stone on the top rack of the oven; Do not place the stone near the bottom of your oven.

3. Give the pizza peel a few very small quick jerks to make sure the pizza will easily slide off your pizza peel before attempting to transfer pizza into the oven.

4. Place pizza within 6 to 8 inches of the top of your oven so that the top bakes sufficiently with the bottom of the pizza.

5. Bake at 425 F for 15 to 20 minutes; until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

6. Remove from oven when done. Use a pizza slicer to slice 3-4 lengthwise cuts to create 6-8 slices. Serve immediately and enjoy. Optional: Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, dried oregano, parsley, or red pepper flakes.

Calories 285, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated fat 4.8 g, Polyunsaturated fat 1.8 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.8 g, Trans fat 0.3 g, Cholesterol 18 mg, Sodium 640 mg, Potassium 184 mg, Total Carbohydrate 36 g, Dietary fiber 2.5 g, Sugar 3.8 g, Protein 12 g

You will receive a lot of health benefits when you choose the right ingredients for your pizza. Combined, these nutrients go a long way to protect your heart and prevent disease. Other sources of nutrients in pizza include cheese, which contains calcium, protein and vitamin A. Another source of nutrients in pizza is the dough, which contains some antioxidants due to the chemical reactions of the yeast. Try to eat a mix of different-colored vegetables for the greatest health benefits.

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