Classic Margherita pizza is a celebration of simplicity and balance: a thin, blistered crust brushed with olive oil, tangy San Marzano tomato sauce, creamy fresh mozzarella, and fragrant basil leaves that wilt into the cheese as it emerges from a blistering-hot oven. Each bite contrasts the crisp, slightly charred dough with the bright acidity of tomatoes and the milky richness of mozzarella, while a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt lift the flavors to savory perfection. It’s a timeless, rustic slice that showcases high-quality ingredients and effortless technique.
Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 batch/ball pizza dough of your choice (store bought or handmade)
- 1/2 cup San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes from a can
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella or use fresh mozzarella
- Handful fresh basil leaves
- All-purpose flour, for forming dough disc
- Semolina flour, for dusting pan
Instructions
- At least 30 minutes before you plan to bake your pizza, preheat the oven to 450° Fahrenheit (232°C). If you have one, place a pizza steel or pizza stone into the oven before preheating. Personally, we use a higher temperature, see the tips section for our thoughts on what temperature is best for baking pizza at home.
- If your pizza dough is cold, allow it to warm at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
- While the oven preheats, make the sauce. In a bowl, crush the tomatoes with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Taste, and then season with more salt as necessary.
- When ready to bake your pizza, prepare a pizza peel or pizza pan by dusting it with semolina flour.
- Dust a clean work surface with all-purpose flour, and then form your pizza dough into a round, large enough to fit your pizza peel or pan. To stretch the dough, avoid rolling it out, as this can flatten the bubbles that have formed. Instead, use your fingers to make dimples in the dough, starting from the center and working outwards. Carefully stretch and push the dough to fit your pizza pan or peel. Use a light touch to maintain as many air pockets in the dough as possible.
- Transfer the dough round to your pizza peel or pan, and reform it if it shrinks back a bit.
- Spread a light layer of pizza sauce over the pizza, leaving a thin edge untouched for the crust. Scatter the cheese and basil over the sauce.
- Bake until the crust is set and golden brown and the cheese has melted with golden spots all over, 6 to 15 minutes, depending on oven temperature. Remove from the oven, scatter over some more fresh basil, cut, and serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!