Margherita pizza has the perfect blend of tangy tomatoes, rich mozzarella, and fresh basil atop a homemade, chewy crust. Bring the delight of Italian cooking into your own kitchen with this easy-to-follow recipe.
4ouncesdrained mozzarella pearlscut into bite-sized pieces
8 to 10basil leaves
Instructions
For the Pizza:
Combine yeast, sugar, salt, water, olive oil, and 1 1/2 cups flour in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Knead on low until dough starts to form. Continue kneading until dough forms a soft ball and the sides of the bowl are clean. Add additional flour as necessary to achieve this texture.
Dust dough with flour and place on a baking sheet or large tray. Cover and let rest for 4 to 5 hours.
To Bake:
Preheat the oven to 550 degrees Fahrenheit.
When ready to bake, roll the dough into a large circle and place on a pizza pan or a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal.
Drizzle about 1 teaspoon olive oil over the dough. Spread the sauce across the top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Evenly distribute the mozzarella pieces.
Bake the pizza in the preheated oven on the pizza pan, or transfer it from the pizza peel to a pizza stone. Bake until toppings are warm, bubbly, and starting to brown, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Remove the pizza from the oven. Tear the basil leaves and scatter them across the pizza.
Notes
Create your own pizza oven:
Place a pizza stone in the center rack of your oven and preheat to 550 degrees Fahrenheit (or as high as your oven will go). When ready to bake, slide the pizza onto the stone and close the oven. Change the oven setting to broil to create a top heat. Keep a close eye on your pizza and let bake until toppings begin to brown.