Pizza with Four Cheeses and Basil

Preparation

1. Step 1

   For grilled pizza, start a medium-hot charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill to the maximum. Roll or lightly press each dough ball into a flat round, lightly flouring the work surface and the dough as necessary (do not use more flour than you need to). Let the rounds sit for a few minutes, then roll or pat out the dough, as thinly as you like, turning occasionally and sprinkling the top with flour as necessary. For baked pizza, preheat the oven to 500°F. Oil one or more baking sheets, then press each dough ball into a flat round directly on the oiled sheet(s). Then pat out the dough, as thinly as you like, oiling your hands if necessary. If your oven is equipped with a baking stone, roll or pat out the dough as for grilled pizza, putting it on a peel to transfer it to the oven.

   Step 2

   To grill the pizza, slide it directly onto the grill. Cook until brown grill marks appear, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your grill heat. Turn with a spatula or tongs, then top with the cheeses and basil. Cover the grill and cook until the bottom is crisp and nicely brown and the cheeses melted. To bake the pizza, top with the cheeses, slide the baking sheet into the oven (or the pizza itself onto the stone), and bake for about 10 minutes, depending on the oven heat, or until nearly done. Sprinkle with the basil and finish cooking until nicely browned.

2. Variations

   Step 3

   Here is a list of ideas for basic and flavorful combination for pizza, none of which requires precooking:

3. Step 4

   White Pizza: Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, then sprinkle with coarse salt, about 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (or a teaspoon or two of dried), and, if you like, a bit of minced garlic, chopped onion, or chopped shallot.

4. Step 5

   Pizza Romano: Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, then top with a lot of cracked black pepper and a good cup of freshly grated pecorino Romano.

5. Step 6

   Pizza with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Sage: Top with at least 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, then sprinkle with 20 or 30 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped.

6. Step 7

   Pizza with Shallots and Thyme: Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, then sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, 1 cup slivered shallot, and about 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or a few pinches of dried).

7. Step 8

   Pesto Pizza: Spread with about 1 cup pesto or simply a handful or two of fresh basil, along with some garlic and a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

8. Step 9

   Pizza with Mozzarella: Top with a couple of handfuls of grated mozzarella, some sliced tomatoes, and a lot of chopped fresh basil, along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.