• Make Karen's Perfect Pizza Dough. Will use half recipe*- one ball. (See recipe)

Roast Garlic, mash to a puree

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a head of garlic in half vertically. Add a piece of parchement paper to a small baking pan, drizzle with olive oil, add the garlic cut side down. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour for a very large head. Check that the garlic is nicely softened. Cool slightly.

  Push the garlic from their paper, add to a cutting board and mash with the side a knife. Add to a small bowl, add 2 teaspoons olive oil and stir up -set aside.

  Hint & time saver: consider roasting two heads of garlic and using the second for another recipe.

Roll dough, top and bake the pizza:

• Preheat oven to 475 - 500 degrees. Place rack on lowest position.

  Punch down the dough, roll on a floured board with a rolling pin to a 12" round. Can also roll to flatten and stretch with your hands. Brush a baking pan with oil, (I use a black steel one, holds heat very well.

  Add the dough to the pan, building up a crust edge about 3/4 inch wide.
• Gently spread all the garlic puree over the dough. Scatter the mozzerella evenly over the garlic.

  Top with 12, 1 1/2 teaspoon dollops of ricotta cheese all over, spacing them. Add marinara sauce in 1 1/2 inch dollops in between the ricotta.

  Brush the oregano leaves with olive oil and scatter the leaves all over. Top with the chopped garlic and a few pinches of hot pepper flakes.
• Bake the pizza until the crust is nicley browned and the pizza is good and bubbly, about 8 minutes. Top with basil leaves.

  Slice and serve! Make 6 slices or 8 smaller ones.