Perfect Pizza Margherita

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the yeast with 1/2 cup of the warm water and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of warm water, 4 cups of flour and kosher salt. Stir until a soft dough forms. Place the dough on a well-floured work surface and knead. Add flour as necessary until a silky, but soft dough forms and use a pastry scraper to help knead. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and brush all over with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Punch down and divide into 4 pieces. Form each piece into a ball and rub each with oil. Transfer to a baking sheet. Cover the balls loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 500° and set a pizza stone in the oven while oven heats. Allow at least 45 minutes for the stone to heat. Place the tomatoes in a food mill set over a medium bowl or pulse them in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Stir in the oregano and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. On a lightly floured surface, stretch one ball of dough into a 13-inch round circle; transfer to a floured pizza peel, adding flour where the dough sticks. Spread 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over the dough to within 1 inch of the edge. Spread one-fourth of the cheese over the pizza and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. Slide the pizza onto the stone. Bake until the bottom is charred and the cheese is melted, about 8 minutes. Scatter one-fourth of the basil on top and let stand for 3 minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.