BUDDY'S PIZZA COPYCAT RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• For the dough: Pour 1/2 cup warm water in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Let sit until foaming, 5 to 10 minutes. If it does not foam, the yeast is either dead or the water is too hot.
• Add the remaining water. Add the flour and salt all at once and mix on low speed until the mixture comes together. Increase to medium speed and mix for about 8 minutes, stopping the mixer to feel the texture of the dough periodically. Add more flour, a spoonful at a time, if the dough feels sticky. The dough should be in a ball around the dough hook and it should look and feel smooth.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead a few times until elastic. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• When ready to use, split the dough into 2 balls. Transfer to a small nonstick pan (a baking sheet or even a pizza stone will work as well). Gently push the dough into the desired shape, no more than 12 inches in diameter, or about 8 by 10 inches if making a square pizza. Don't make it too thin; a smaller diameter will lead to a thicker crust. If the dough is hard to work with and not keeping its desired shape, then the dough needs additional resting time. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then try again. Once the dough is in the desired shape, let it sit and rise while getting the toppings together.
• For the tomato sauce: Mix together the tomatoes, basil, dried herbs, oil, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. The sauce will cook on the pizza.
• For assembly: Sprinkle the cheese onto the crust. If using a pan with sides, you can go all the way to the edge of the dough with the cheese. If using a pizza stone or unrimmed baking sheet, leave a little room around the edge to prevent melted cheese from running off the pan. Dollop the sauce randomly onto the pizza, staying away from the edges.
• Bake in the top third of the oven until the cheese is fully cooked and the crust is browned, about 15 minutes. Bake the remaining crust with additional sauce and toppings. 

Steps:

• Make the dough for the pizza one to two days before you plan to build the pizza. You can make the dough in a standing mixer or stir it by hand. Start by dissolving the yeast and sugar in the water in a small bowl.
• Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the oil, margarine and yeast solution, then mix well until the dough forms a ball. Don’t knead the dough too much. Place the dough into a covered container and store it in your refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
• Make the sauce by dumping the canned tomatoes into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until simmering for 5 minutes, then use a potato masher to smash the tomatoes into smaller bits. The sauce should still be a little chunky. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, except the basil, and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the fresh basil and cook for another 5 minutes. Cover and cool. You can make this sauce when you make the dough and keep it stored in your refrigerator until pizza time.
• A couple hours before you plan to make the pizza, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature. When you are ready to make the pizza, place a pizza stone into your oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Slice off one-third of the dough and set it aside, then roll the larger portion of dough into a circle that is 16 inches across. Place this dough into a 10-inch deep dish pizza pan or cake pan with a 2-inch high edge that has been rubbed with 1 tablespoon of softened margarine. Arrange a single layer of each of the fillings you choose onto the dough. Fill the dough with the cheese and use your hands to make it even all the way around.
• Roll the smaller portion of dough out to a 12-inch circle. The dough should be thinner than the bottom dough. Place this dough onto the pizza and press it down onto the cheese in the corner all the way around. Press the edges of the two doughs together then use a knife to trim the dough even with the top of the pan. Slice a few holes in the center of the dough so that it doesn’t puff up as it bakes.
• Use a spoon to spread about 1¼ cups of the sauce over the dough. Spread the sauce to the edge of the dough. At the restaurant, to indicate what’s inside the pizza, they’ll add one piece of each of the fillings onto the top of the pizza, in the middle. That’s handy when lots of pizzas are in the oven and they all look the same.
• Bake the pizza for 35 to 40 minutes until it begins to brown on top. Spin the pizza around about halfway through the baking so that it browns evenly.
• Combine the Romano and Parmesan cheeses in a small bowl. When you take the pizza out of the oven sprinkle it with the cheese blend.
• Run a flexible spatula around the edge of the pizza to make sure it’s loose, then get the spatula under the pizza while holding the pan (using a mitt) with the other hand and scoop the pizza out onto a pizza pan or cutting board for slicing. Slice the pizza 3 times through the middle with a large sharp knife, making 6 slices.