Pizza Margherita is one of the simplest pizzas, with only mozzarella, tomato, and basil. But simplicity does not mean compromising on flavor. With good ingredients and a good recipe, it is a true spring-and-summer treat, even at home.
Pizza Margherita Recipe
- Make the pizza dough. The linked recipe explains the dough in detail and includes all the tips for making it. With 500 g of flour, you can make 2 thin-crust pizzas about 36 cm across. Once it is ready, let the dough rest for at least 1 1/2 hours. As noted in the linked article on perfect Italian pizza, dough that rests for 2 to 5 days is best.
- Preheat the oven to the highest setting possible and shape the dough. You can bake it in a rectangular pan, on a round pizza pan, or on a pizza stone. Shaping thin-crust pizza is not easy and takes practice. The linked guide on shaping pizza dough explains more, but do not give up if it does not work the first time.
- Spread the tomato puree over the dough in circular motions, leaving a border about 1 cm wide around the edge. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and oregano. The quantities in this recipe are for 2 pizzas about 36 cm across, so use half for 1 pizza.
- Cut the fresh mozzarella into slices about 0.5 to 1 cm thick, or tear it into pieces, and place it on the pizza. About 150 g of mozzarella is perfect for one 36 cm Margherita pizza. If you use less, it will not have enough flavor. If you use more, it may soak the dough.
- Put the pizza in the oven and bake it. At about 250 C, a 36 cm pizza bakes in about 10 minutes, while a 25 cm pizza takes about 8 minutes. It is ready when the edge is lightly browned and the tomato and mozzarella have melted together, slightly blistered in the middle.
- When you take it out of the oven, add fresh basil leaves to taste and serve it immediately, while hot. Fresh, tender basil may darken slightly on the hot pizza; that is natural.
A Short History of Pizza Margherita
Pizza Margherita is one of the original Neapolitan pizzas. According to tradition, in 1889, when Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples, she was served a pizza whose toppings symbolized the colors of Italy: green (basil), white (mozzarella), and red (tomato). The pizza has carried the name Margherita in her honor ever since.
When it is made with good tomatoes and mozzarella, and the ingredients are used in the right proportions, the toppings melt into a wonderful sauce. Even if you usually prefer pizza with lots of meat, sometimes you still reach for this light, fresh Mediterranean dish.
Enjoy!
Pizza Margherita
Ingredients
- 280 g pizza dough
- 4 tbsp tomato purée (passata) 66 g
- extra virgin olive oil a few drops
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 1 pinch salt
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese 175 g, preferably mozzarella di bufala
- 10 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to the highest heat possible.
- Form a ball from the pizza dough. Start by making a circular motion with the palm of your hand, with some pressure. Then release the pressure gradually until you get a nice ball shape. Put your pizza dough balls on a lightly floured work surface. Dust them with some more flour, and let them proof covered with a kitchen towel for another 15 minutes.
- Shape your dough to form a large, thin disk and place it in a pizza pan.
- Put your tomato purée (passata) on top of your pizza dough, in the middle. With a back of a spoon or a ladle, using circular motions towards the edges, make sure the tomato covers your pizza dough. Leave an edge about 1 inch (2-3 cm) thick.
- Drizzle a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle some dried oregano and salt.
- Spread larger chunks of fresh mozzarella over the tomato purée.
- Add a few leaves of fresh basil.
- Transfer your pizza Margherita into the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned but you can still see the white color of the mozzarella.
- To get the nice vivid green color, and of course to add more flavors, top your baked pizza with some more fresh basil leaves.
