Tomato-Basil Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 pound pizza dough
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 large tomatoes, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2. Set the tomatoes on a non-stick baking sheet, or use parchment if you like, choosing one with enough room for the tomatoes to sit in a single layer. Add the garlic, olive oil, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, and toss everything together right on the pan.
3. Roast the tomatoes for 1 hour, taking a look halfway through so the garlic stays golden instead of scorched. If the undersides of the tomatoes are browning too much, use a spatula to carefully flip them.
4. After 1 hour, switch off the oven and let the tomatoes stay inside until the oven has cooled all the way down. The exact roasting time depends on the size of the tomatoes, so what you want is for them to release their juices and concentrate down. The tomatoes can be roasted up to 3 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator, or frozen in freezer bags for several months.
5. For the pizza, heat the oven to 450ºF (235ºC), and set a heavy baking sheet on a rack in the lower third of the oven.
6. Dust your work surface lightly with flour, then roll and stretch the pizza dough into a 14-inch (36 cm) circle. Move the dough onto a piece of parchment paper.
7. Paint the dough lightly with olive oil. Drain the tomatoes thoroughly, saving the liquid if you want it for a vinaigrette or soup, then scatter the tomatoes and garlic across the dough. Lay the mozzarella slices over the tomatoes, add a dozen fresh basil leaves, and finish with Parmesan grated over the top.
8. Carefully take the hot baking sheet out of the oven, using an oven mitt, and slide the pizza, still on its parchment, onto the hot sheet.
9. Put the pizza back in the oven and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, until it looks right to you: the crust should be crisp underneath, with the top lightly browned and bubbling.
10. Take the pizza out of the oven, then scatter chopped fresh basil over it and add a generous shower of additional grated Parmesan cheese.