Pizza Napoletana

In a large bowl, mix together the yeast, sugar, and water. Let sit for 5 minutes until the mixture is frothy.

Add the olive oil and salt to the yeast mixture, and stir to combine. Add in 2 1/2 cups of flour, and mix until you have a shaggy dough that holds together, adding more flour if necessary.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes, sprinkling the dough with more flour as necessary so it doesn’t stick to the counter. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let the dough rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, place the tomatoes and their juices in a medium bowl. Using your hands, crush the tomatoes into small pieces, removing the stems as you go. Mix in the salt, pepper, and parsley. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Lightly oil a half sheet pan, place your dough in the center of the pan, and stretch it out until it fills the whole pan.

Spread the tomato sauce across the pizza dough and sprinkle the parmesan over the pizza. Press the tips of your fingers into the pizza to create small indentations to mix the cheese into the tomato sauce.

Bake the pizza for 12-15 minutes until the bottom is golden. Let the pizza cool for 5 minutes and then serve.

The pizza is best eaten just after it has come out of the oven, but it’s also great reheated the next day. Growing up, my mom would always add some mozzarella cheese to the pizza before reheating, something I recommend.