You will need to start this about 3 hours before you want to eat.
Pour 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil into your cast iron pan. Your pan should be 10" to 11" diameter across the top and about 9" across the bottom. You can alternatively use a cake pan if you don't have a cast iron pan. Using your fingers or a brush, make sure the bottom and sides of the pan are well coated in the oil.
Place the dough into the pan, turning over once to ensure the dough is coated in oil. Press the dough to the edges of the pan, using your fingers. You will want to have dimples in your dough from your fingertips. The dough may want to shrink back, but that's ok. Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
Repeat the process of pressing the dough out and dimpling. If your dough still shrinks back, rest for another 15 minutes and repeat once again.
Cover and let the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough should look soft and pillowy after the 2 hours.
About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 450°F. One oven rack should be at the bottom of the oven and the other should be close to the top but not at the very top.
While the oven is preheating, sprinkle 3/4 of the mozzarella evenly over the crust. Make sure to get the cheese all the way to the edges, that will give you the nice crispy cheese bits. Dollop spoonfuls of the pizza sauce over the cheese and top with remaining mozzarella.
Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for 18-20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the bottom and edges of the crust are a nice golden brown. Use a spatula to check the bottom. If the bottom is not brown enough, bake for a few more minutes. If the bottom is done but the top is not brown, place the pizza on the upper rack and bake for a few more minutes. Make sure to watch your pizza closely if it's on the top rack, you don't want it to burn.
Remove the pizza from the oven. Carefully run a spatula around the edge of the pizza, to prevent the cheese from sticking to the pan as it cools. Let the pizza cool for 5 minutes before removing and slicing.
Top with fresh basil leaves (if using) before serving.