New York-style cheese pizza

Start cooking opens one step at a time with read-aloud and hands-free voice control — “next”, “repeat”, “how much salt”, “timer 10 minutes”.

1. 1Make the doughMix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the water and oil and bring together into a shaggy dough. Knead on the counter for 8–10 minutes until smooth and springy (or 6 minutes in a mixer with the dough hook).
2. 2Let it riseOil the bowl, return the dough, cover, and leave for 1½–2 hours at room temperature until doubled. For much better flavour, put the covered bowl in the fridge overnight and take it out 2 hours before you bake.
3. 3Make the sauceCrush the tomatoes by hand or pulse briefly — you want texture, not a purée. Stir in the garlic, oregano and ½ tsp salt. That's it: New York sauce is not cooked before it goes on the pizza.
4. 4Heat the ovenPut a pizza stone, heavy baking tray or an upturned tawa on the top shelf and heat the oven to its maximum (250–275 °C / 480–525 °F) for at least 30 minutes. The hot surface is what gives you a crisp base.
5. 5ShapeDivide the dough in two. On a floured surface press one piece from the middle outwards, leaving a thicker rim, then lift and stretch over your knuckles to a 30 cm round. Lay it on a semolina-dusted sheet of baking paper.
6. 6Top lightlySpread 4–5 tablespoons of sauce thinly to within 2 cm of the edge. Scatter half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan. Less is more — a heavy pizza never crisps.
7. 7BakeSlide the pizza on its paper onto the hot surface. Bake 8–12 minutes until the rim is blistered and the cheese has browned spots. Pull the paper out after 3 minutes if you want the base extra crisp. Repeat with the second dough.
8. 8ServeRest for 2 minutes, cut into 6, and fold the slice in half to eat it the New York way.