Mozzarella Flower Pizza

Instructions

1. Remove pizza dough from the refrigerator and dust lightly with flour. Let it come to room temperature for 30 – 60 minutes.

2. Place the Pizza Shield and Stone on top of the rack (position 7 for ranges and position 5 for wall ovens).

3. Select Stone-Baked Pizza Mode and follow the instructions to begin preheating.

4. Gently stretch the pizza dough, lifting up the dough and rotating it with your hands to allow it to stretch with its own weight. Dust with additional flour if needed to prevent sticking.

5. Lightly dust a pizza peel with an even coating of cornmeal or semolina flour (note: use only enough to prevent sticking, as too much will cause it to burn in the oven). Transfer the dough to the prepared peel.

6. Spread the pizza sauce over the surface of the dough with the back of a spoon, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges for the crust.

7. Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes evenly over the sauce, then place 4-5 halved mozzarella balls around the tomatoes to form the flowers.

8. Give the pizza a gentle shake on the peel to make sure it moves. If any spots appear to be sticking, gently lift that corner and give it a little more flour. Shake the peel again and add more flour, if necessary.

9. When the preheat cycle ends, transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone. After two minutes, the pizza should be evenly golden brown and the cheese should be nicely melted. Add an additional 15 seconds of cooking time, if needed.

10. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a plate or pizza pan. Allow to cool for 1 minute before garnishing with fresh basil, if desired. Slice and serve.