Step 1

Preheat a pizza stone or baking steel in the oven to 500 degrees F or as high as your oven will go for 1 hour before baking.

Step 2

Place the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl and crush by hand to break down into small pieces, or pulse in a food processor until the tomatoes puree into a chunky sauce. Be careful not to over mix. (This will make more sauce than needed for one pizza.)

Step 3

Spread approximately 1/2 cup of sauce on the pizza crust and evenly sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Drizzle with the heavy cream and olive oil. Top with whole fresh basil leaves.

Step 4

Bake until the crust is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice into 6 pieces, top with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.

Step 5

Combine the flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add 1 3/4 cups of the water (reserving 1/4 cup to add if necessary) and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Add the salt and continue to mix for another 3 minutes, adding reserved water if the dough seems dry.

Step 6

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then mix again on medium-low speed until the dough no longer sticks to the side of the bowl, about 2 minutes. The dough should still be tacky to the touch, but not too wet and sticky that it does not hold its shape.

Step 7

If the dough is still too dry, slowly add water 1 tablespoon at a time. If it is too wet, gradually mix in flour by the tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency. Do not overmix the dough.

Step 8

Transfer the dough to a well-floured counter and begin to gently roll the dough into a ball. Using a sharp knife, cut 6- or 9-ounce pieces and form into a tight ball (6-ounce dough ball for a 10-inch crust and 9-ounce dough ball for a 12-inch crust).

Step 9

Place the dough balls on a baking sheet covered in olive oil or cooking spray to prevent them from sticking to the sheet. Brush the dough balls with additional olive oil. Cover the dough balls in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then place the dough balls in the refrigerator and let them rest 24 hours.

Step 10

The next day, remove the dough balls and let sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours prior to making pizzas.

Step 11

Push out the dough by hand or use a rolling pin until you reach the desired shape. Place the crust onto a well-floured pizza peel and top. Yield: 5 to 6 crusts