Combine the water and yeast in a mixing bowl, and stir to dissolve the yeast. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix until you've formed a dough.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface along with any loose flour still in the bowl. Knead until all the flour is incorporated, and the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough should still feel moist and slightly tacky. If it's sticking to your hands and countertop like bubble gum, work in more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it is smooth. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for an hour or until doubled in bulk.

Set the oven to 500°F and let it heat for at least half an hour before making the pizza. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the lower-middle part of the oven now.

When ready to make the pizza, tear off 2 pieces of parchment paper roughly 12 inches wide. Divide the dough in 2 with a bench scraper. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the parchment paper.

Work from the middle of the dough outwards, using the heel of your hand to gently press and stretch the dough until it's about a ¼-inch thick or less. For an extra-thin crust, roll it with a rolling pin. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.

Spoon pesto sauce into the center of the pizza and use the back of a spoon to spread it out to the edges. Arrange mozzarella pieces evenly over the sauce, top with artichokes.

Using a bread peel or the back side of a baking sheet, slide your pizza (still on the parchment) onto the baking stone in the oven. If you don't have a baking stone, bake the pizza right on the baking sheet.

Bake for about 5 minutes and then rotate the pizza, removing the parchment from under the pizza as you do so. Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until the crust is golden-brown.

Remove the pizza from oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Repeat with shaping, topping, and baking the second pizza.

Let both pizzas cool for about five minutes and then top with arugula before slicing and serving.