If using a pizza stone, place the cold pizza stone in cold oven and heat to 500F or as high as your oven will get. (If convection setting is an option, use this). Warm stone for about 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, start to prepare your dough and toppings. To stretch out your dough, place on a lightly floured clean work surface and gently flatten with the palm of your hands. Using your fingertips, push the edges of dough out, while rotating, until you form an even circle, leaving the outer edge slightly thicker for the crust. Now, take a lightly floured palm of one hand, and place it in the center of the disc of dough; use the other hand to guide the disc completely onto the palm of your first hand and flip flop back and forth between the palms of both hands, while continuing to rotate the dough until it measures about 10 inches in diameter. Alternatively, a rolling pin can also be used but pizza makers will warn that this can lead to pizza that is too flat and more importantly gets rid of the natural gas bubbles in the dough that creates soft fluffy dough. Once the dough is stretched, make sure there is enough flour on your work surface or dough so that it easily moves around when you place it back down. Now it is ready for toppings. Gently spread tomato sauce with the back of a spoon in a circular motion, leaving about ¾-inch around the perimeter for the crust. Sprinkle dried mint and dried oregano all over the sauce. (Optional: if using unsalted tomato sauce, you can sprinkle a little sea salt over the sauce for extra seasoning but keep in mind that the cheese and olives will add natural saltiness as well). Add shredded cheese in an even layer followed by red onion. Gently toss zucchini ribbons with the olive oil and place around the pizza on top of the cheese and red onion.
Lightly dust pizza stone with cornmeal or semolina flour so that pizza doesn’t stick and transfer the dough onto the preheated stone using a pizza peel.
Bake in hot oven for 8-10 minutes (check after 8 minutes is using convection setting).
When pizza is done and still hot, top with sliced olives. Let cool slightly and at the last minute before serving, add the fresh basil and a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of the zucchini ribbons. Another drizzle of olive oil also doesn’t hurt! Cut into wedges or rustic rectangles and enjoy.
