Queen Margherita Pizza

A traditional yet basic pizza recipe-no unnecessary ingredients, no heavyhanded use of tomato sauce, no pineapple, no barbecued chicken. Only the best quality ingredients will work. Adapted from Diane Seed's Mediterranean dishes.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Yields: 1 pizza

Ingredients

• 1  pizza dough, prepared but not baked (I suggest Easy Peezy Pizza Dough (Bread Machine Pizza Dough))

• Toppings

• 11  ounces  fresh imported mozzarella cheese
• 1  lb firm ripe tomatoes
• 3  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 -10  fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons (NOT dried)
• 2  tablespoons  freshly grated imported parmesan cheese
•  salt

Directions

1. Make pizza dough according to directions up until the point where the dough is proofed and is ready to be cooked.
2. If your mozzarella cheese is very fresh, slice up and set on paper towels first for any whey to absorb then proceed with recipe.
3. Peel the tomatoes by plunging into boiling water for about 15 seconds. Remove peel, cut into thin slices, remove seeds and drain in a colander.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a round pizza tray* with olive oil. Roll out the pizza dough into a thin, supple sheet and place in the prepared pizza pan. Brush the surface of the dough with olive oil, cover with thin slices of Mozzarella. Scatter on half of the tomato slices, then the Parmesan. Arrange the remaining tomato slices on top.
5. *NOTE: a heavier pizza tray is preferable for best baking results.
6. Lightly salt the tomatoes, then drizzle a little bit of olive oil all over the top.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes. It may be necessary to turn pizza pan around at the half way mark for even browning.
8. Garnish the fresh basil ribbons on top of the pizza just before serving.