Pan pizza

In a big bowl, whisk 16 oz flour with 2 tsp kosher salt and 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast.

Add 11 oz room temperature water and mix with a wooden spoon, then stir or knead by hand until no dry flour remains; the aim is only to hydrate the flour.

Generously oil a medium bowl with olive oil, put the dough in, cover and rest at room temperature 18 to 24 hours until risen and bubbly.

Turn the dough onto a well-floured worktop and divide in half with a bench scraper (enough for two 10-inch pizzas).

Pour 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil into a cast iron pan, add the dough and coax it toward the corners with fingers and fists. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature at least one hour or until doubled.

Variation: a glass pie plate, same procedure, pressed out, covered and rested an hour; gives a lesser crust than cast iron.

Variation: a quarter-sized rimmed baking sheet using the whole recipe of dough; stretch as far as possible, cover, rest one hour, then stretch the rest of the way once the gluten has relaxed.

For the sauce, combine a 28 oz can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes, 2 or 3 roughly chopped garlic cloves, oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; pulse to a relatively smooth puree (an immersion blender was used when the food processor failed). Add a splash of olive oil if desired. Do not cook it.

Tease the rested dough to fill the pan with fingers. Spread sauce to the edge without over-saucing.

Shred low moisture mozzarella after about 30 minutes in the freezer and spread it all the way to the edge for brown crunchy edges. Top with pepperoni and scatter fresh basil.

Preheat the oven at maximum temperature for one hour with a pizza stone inside. Bake the pie plate pizza about 15 minutes.

Run a knife around the edge, extract and rest about five minutes; grate Parmesan over just before serving, then slice.

Variation: the cast iron pizza is topped the same, with an optional glug of olive oil; check after 11 to 12 minutes as it may cook faster.

Variation: the rimmed baking sheet pizza bakes lower and slower, at 450F for up to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly brown and the crust crisp.