Ingredients For the dough:

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast

1 cup warm water, 85 degrees F

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt

For the sauce:

2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Toppings:

3 cups Kerrygold

Dubliner® Cheese

½ cup mozzarella, grated

Torn basil leaves

Black olives

Red onion, thinly sliced

Yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon chili flakes, optional

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, dry active yeast, and the granulated sugar. Use a whisk to mix, and begin dissolving the yeast. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and let the mixture rest at room temperature for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
  2. Add the olive oil, all purpose flour, and kosher salt to the bowl. Use a wooden spoon, or a Danish dough whisk to mix until a shaggy dough forms, and there are no dry patches of flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter at room temperature.
  3. With clean, damp hands, reach into the bowl and gently lift one side of the dough up, stretching it as far as it will go without tearing. Fold the side of dough over the ball, and work your way around the dough, lifting up, stretching, and folding the dough back over itself. Cover the bowl with the kitchen towel, and let rest for another 15 minutes.
  4. Stretch and fold the dough once more, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place at room temperature for about an hour, until doubled in size. 
  5. Meanwhile make the pizza: in a small mixing bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, kosher salt, minced garlic, and dried oregano. Stir to combine, and set aside.
  6. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a rectangular 9×13 inch baking pan, making sure to coat the sides of the pan.
  7. Pour the risen dough out into the prepared baking pan, lightly oil your hands, and use them to stretch the dough out into the corners of the pan until it covers the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rest for another 40-45 minutes while the oven preheats.
  8. After the second rise, make sure the dough is evenly stretched to the corners of the baking pan. Spoon 1 ½ cups of the sauce over the top of the dough. Use your fingertips to dimple the sauce down into the dough. Don’t be afraid to get your hands a bit messy. 
  9. Bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven, and spoon on the remaining ½ cup of sauce, and layer on all of the toppings. Bake for another 12-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
  10. Use a spatula to remove the pizza from the pan. Top the pan pizza with torn basil leaves, and serve immediately. Kitchen shears are useful for slicing up the pizza.