In a small saucepan, combine the tomato paste, 1 cup (237g) of water, olive oil, sugar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and basil. Whisk to combine and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the dough:
Heat the oven to 450°F (230ºC). Grease two 12" (30cm) round pizza pans, or a couple of baking sheets.
In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the water, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. If the dough is too dry add water 1 teaspoon (5g) at a time. Gather the dough in half and shape each into a disc. Cover each and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
For assembly:
Press and stretch out each half of dough onto a greased baking sheet until you form a ⅛” (3mm) thin 12” (30cm) circle. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon (14g) of olive oil and spread evenly to the edges. Parbake the crust until lightly golden at the edges, about 7 minutes.
Top each pizza with ⅓ cup (80g) of the pizza sauce and sprinkle a heaping cup (about 140g) of the cheese mixture over each.
Bake the pizza until the cheese has melted and begins to lightly brown, about an additional 8 minutes. Use a pizza cutter to cut the pizza into squares and serve hot.
Notes
Traditional St. Louis pizza keeps toppings simple, like pepperoni, sausage, or veggies, so the crust and cheese shine.