best margherita pizza

My search for the best homemade margherita pizza (made in a standard oven with everyday ingredients) is over! This classic pizza is topped with a simple fresh pizza sauce made from canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. You’ll want to make this homemade pizza recipe over and over again.

Best Homemade Margherita Pizza

(300 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

sugar

active dry yeast (or SAF instant yeast)

teaspoon kosher salt

water (105 degrees F – 115 degrees F)

extra virgin olive oil

semolina or all-purpose flour,

garlic cloves,

extra virgin olive oil,

black pepper

kosher salt

mozzarella

basil

red pepper flakes (optional)

Prepare Pizza Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together...

Prepare Pizza Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm water and olive oil, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the dough just begins to come together. It will seem shaggy and dry, but don’t worry.

Scrape the dough onto a well-floured counter top and knead...

Scrape the dough onto a well-floured counter top and knead the dough for three minutes. It should quickly come together and begin to get sticky. Dust the dough with flour as needed (sometimes I will have to do this 2 to 3 times, depending on humidity levels) – it should be slightly tacky, but should not be sticking to your counter top.  After three minutes, the dough should be smooth, slightly elastic, and tacky. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil, and place the dough into the bowl.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel (or...

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel (or plastic wrap) and allow the dough to rise in a warm, dry area of your kitchen for 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. If your kitchen is very cold, one great tip that I do all the time is to heat a large heatproof measuring cup of water in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. This creates a nice warm environment and I’ll immediately remove the cup and place the bowl with the dough in the microwave until it has risen. [If you are preparing in advance, see the note section for freezing instructions.]

Preheat Oven and Pizza Stone: Place the pizza stone on...

Preheat Oven and Pizza Stone: Place the pizza stone on the center (or top third) rack of your oven, and preheat the oven and pizza stone to 550 degrees Fahrenheit (for at least 30-45 minutes). If your oven does not go up to 550 degrees, heat it to the absolute maximum temperature that it can go. If it can heat to higher than 550 degrees Fahrenheit, even better!

As the oven is preheating, assemble the ingredients. In...

As the oven is preheating, assemble the ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the pureed tomatoes, minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, pepper, and salt. Set aside another small bowl with the cubed mozzarella cheese (pat the cheese with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture). Set aside the basil leaves and grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for easy grabbing.

Separate the dough into two equal-sized portions. It...

Separate the dough into two equal-sized portions. It will deflate slightly, but that is OK. Place the dough on a large plate or floured counter top, cover gently with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Assemble the Pizza: Sprinkle the pizza peel (alternatively, you...

Assemble the Pizza: Sprinkle the pizza peel (alternatively, you can use the back of a baking sheet – but it will be harder!) with a tablespoon of semolina. Gently stretch one ball of pizza dough into roughly a 10-inch circle (don’t worry if its not perfectly uniform). If the dough springs back or is too elastic, allow it to rest for an additional five minutes. The edges of the dough can be slightly thicker, but make sure the center of the dough is thin (you should be able to see some light through it if you held it up). Gently transfer the dough onto the semolina-dusted pizza peel or baking sheet.

Drizzle or brush the dough lightly with olive...

Drizzle or brush the dough lightly with olive oil (teaspoon or so). Using a large spoon, add roughly 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce onto the pizza dough, leaving a 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch border on all sides. Use the back of the spoon to spread it evenly and thinly. Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmigiano-reggiano cheese onto the pizza sauce. Add half of the cubed mozzarella, distributing it evenly over the entire pizza. Using your hands, tear a few large basil leaves, and sprinkle the basil over the pizza. At this point, I’ll occasionally stretch the sides of the dough out a bit to make it even thinner. Gently slide the pizza from the peel onto the heated baking stone. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling and caramelized and the edges of the pizza are golden brown. Remove the pizza carefully from the oven with the pizza peel, transfer to a wooden cutting board or foil, drizzle the top with olive oil, some grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and chiffonade of fresh basil. Slice and serve immediately and/or prepare the second pizza.

If you’re serving two pizzas at once, I...

If you’re serving two pizzas at once, I recommend placing the cooked pizza on a separate baking sheet while you prepare the other pizza. In the last few minutes of cooking, place the prepared pizza into the oven (on a rack below the pizza stone) so that it is extra hot for serving. Otherwise, I recommend serving one pizza fresh out of the oven, keeping the oven hot, and preparing the second pizza after people have gone through the first one! The pizza will taste great either way, but it is at its prime within minutes out of the oven!.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/wdjlpru20aqsnimoaaxw.mp4

My search for the best homemade margherita pizza (made in a standard oven with everyday ingredients) is over! This classic pizza is topped with a simple fresh pizza sauce made from canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. You’ll want to make this homemade pizza recipe over and over again. 

This sourdough pizza dough is naturally leavened and made with a combination of Type &quot;00&quot; flour and high-protein bread flour. It produces a delightfully chewy and crisp, yet tender crust with a signature sourdough tang. This recipe yields three (10-inch) pizzas, but can be easily doubled. Dough can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead, please see the recipe notes below for further instruction. Below the dough recipe, you&#39;ll find a recipe for a classic Margherita-style pizza using our favorite homemade pizza sauce. It will become an instant favorite. Feel free to use this recipe as a base and mix up the toppings as desired.

Sourdough Pizza Dough

90°F-95°F filtered water (32°C-35°C)

Diamond Crystal kosher salt

ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration)

type "00" flour

bread flour (such as King Arthur)

flour (for shaping and dusting)

semolina flour (for dusting)

extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

pizza sauce ((see recipe linked))

basil leaves (plus more for finishing)

parmigiano-reggiano cheese (optional)

Important Note: Please note that this sourdough pizza dough recipe requires a large quantity (250 g) of ripe sourdough starter. Scale up the previous night&#39;s feeding so the starter is ready in the morning. See the example baking timeline in the note section below.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and salt. Use your fingers to swirl the mixture together until the salt has completely dissolved. Add the ripe sourdough starter.

Using your fingers, pinch the mixture together, distributing and breaking up the starter into small pieces throughout the water.

Add the &quot;00&quot; and bread flour to the bowl. Using a Danish dough whisk or your hands, mix until the dough comes together and no dry clumps remain. The dough will be shaggy. Cover and rest at room temperature (72°F/22°C) for 20 minutes.

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough for one minute, dusting it lightly once or twice with flour if needed to prevent it from sticking. The dough should be tacky, but very smooth. Lightly coat the mixing bowl with olive oil, lightly shape the dough into a round, and transfer to the greased bowl. Cover and proof at room temperature (72°F/22°C) for about 3 hours. The dough shoud have risen at least 50% and be rounded on the edges.

Transfer the dough onto a clean countertop. Using a bench knife, divide the dough into three equal-sized pieces (roughly 280 grams each).

Shape the Dough Pieces into Rounds: Shape the pizza dough pieces into balls. Working with one piece of dough at a time, grab the top portion of dough, stretch upwards, then fold back into the center. Repeat from the opposite edge. Continue along the outer edges of the dough, folding them back into the center to form a tightly seamed package. Flip the dough seam-side down and use your hands to gently shape into a round, using the countertop to build tension into the surface. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.

Transfer the dough balls into a flour dusted proofing box (or rectangular pan with lid or large plate), setting them apart. Dust the tops with flour. Cover and proof at room temperature for a minimum of 5 to 6 hours or until ready to assemble or bake pizza that evening. The dough will hold for 3 to 4 additional hours after proofing. Make Ahead Instructions: Alternatively, shape and allow the dough balls to proof for 4 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the fridge and allow the dough to rest at room temperature (72°F/22°C) for 2 to 3 hours before using.

After the final proof, the dough balls should have expanded considerably, nearly doubling in size. Shape and bake using the instructions below as a guide.

Prepare the Sourdough Pizza Dough:

Set a baking steel on a rack in the upper third of the oven, roughly 6 to 7 inches below the broiler element. Preheat the oven and steel to 500°F (260°C) for at least one hour. Prepare the pizza sauce, toppings, and set out for easy assembly.

Lightly dust a wooden pizza peel with flour and sprinkle with semolina flour. Use your hands to spread the mixture into a thin layer across the surface. Set aside. This will keep your dough from sticking and help with transferring.

Just before assembling pizza, turn the oven broiler to high for 10 minutes. This will blast your steel with an extra dose of heat. Generously sprinkle your countertop with flour. Carefully lift one pizza dough round from the proofing container (covering the remaining dough) and set on the flour. Dust the top with flour. 

Using both hands, press the dough with your fingers, starting from the center and pressing outwards toward the edges, rotating the dough as you go while maintaining the edges.

Once the dough is roughly 6 to 7 inches in diameter, lift the dough with both hands, allowing the center of the dough to rest on your knuckles. Gently stretch the dough by pushing your knuckles outwards, rotating the dough continuously, while maintaining the slightly rounded edges. Allow the dough to hang off your hands slightly, allowing gravity to help stretch the dough into a thin roughly 10-inch disc. Gently transfer the dough onto the dusted pizza peel. 

Drizzle the surface of the dough with extra virgin olive oil. Use your hands to brush it over the surface, concentrating on the edges. Spoon roughly ⅓ to ½ cup of homemade pizza sauce into the center of dough. Use the back of a spoon to spread the sauce into an even thin layer, leaving a ¾-inch border on all sides.

Distribute torn mozzarella pieces (roughly ⅓ of the 8-ounce mozzarella ball) over the sauce and top with several torn basil leaves. 

Transfer the pizza onto the hot baking steel. Immediately turn off the broiler and set the oven to 500°F (260°C). Cook the pizza for 4 to 5 minutes, rotating it on the steel once or twice if needed, or until the bottom is crisp and lightly spotted. Finish the pizza under the broiler, watching carefully, or until the edges of the crust have gained color. 

Using the peel, remove from the oven and place on a wooden cutting board. Lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil leaves, and freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (if desired). Cut into quarters and serve immediately.

Set the oven back to temperature and repeat with the remaining pizza dough, assembling and baking each pizza before serving. 

How to Shape and Bake Sourdough Pizzas (Margherita Style):

Top 2 best margherita pizza recipes from across the web

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Top 2 best margherita pizza recipes from across the web

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Best Homemade Margherita Pizza

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