Pesto:
Combine spinach, basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is emulsified. Set aside until ready to use.
Pizza:
Pre-heat your oven to 500℉.
Twenty to thirty minutes before cooking the pizza, put your pizza stone in the oven.
Sprinkle a clean surface with cornmeal. Gently stretch the pizza dough with your hands in a circular motion. Once stretched, place it over the cornmeal and roll it out with a rolling pin. Transfer the rolled dough onto a pizza peel.
Once your dough is flat and ready to be heated, spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pesto over the dough, making sure not to spread any pesto on the crust. Top with mozzarella, Parmesan, and tomatoes.
Carefully slide the assembled pizza from the peel to the pre-heated stone. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes.
Remove pizza from oven and finish with fresh basil leaves, balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil, a pinch of flaky salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Let sit for 5 minutes to cool down before slicing. Enjoy!
Homemade Pizza Dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, sugar, and instant yeast. Gently stir, just to combine and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes, until frothy.
Add both types of flour and salt over the yeast mixture, and using the hook attachment, mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until a shaggy dough forms. Increase speed to Medium to knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes, or until smooth and pliable. When you press a finger into the dough, it should slowly bounce back. Cover the dough with a clean damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Split the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a ball. Place the dough balls in separate bowls, cover them with plastic wrap, and let them rise at room temperature in a dark area for 3 to 4 hours. If you’re making the dough ahead of time, you can refrigerate it to rise for 8 to 24 hours.
When you're ready to make pizza, allow the dough to come to room temperature. Transfer each ball of dough to a heavily floured surface and, using your fingers, gently stretch it. Then, shape it into rounds with your hands. Add your toppings and bake.
