margherita pizza recipe

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. 

The most classic homemade pizza, this margherita pizza recipe features a tangy pizza sauce, gooey mozzarella, and a perfect chewy pizza crust.

Homemade Margherita Pizza (Secrets for perfect dough &amp; sauce!)

Best Pizza Dough (or Food Processor Dough or Thin Crust Dough)

Semolina flour or cornmeal, for dusting the pizza peel

garlic (1/2 medium)

tomatoes tomatoes

oregano

pizza sauce

cheese mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

basil leaves

Make the pizza dough

Follow the Best Pizza Dough recipe to prepare the dough. (This takes about 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to rest.)

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F. OR preheat your pizza oven (here’s the pizza oven we use).

Make the pizza sauce

Cut the garlic into a few rough pieces. Place the garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, oregano and kosher salt in a blender. Blend until fully combined. (You&#8217;ll use about 1/3 cup for the pizza; reserve the remaining sauce and refrigerate for up to 1 week.)

Prepare the cheese: 

If using fresh mozzarella cheese, slice it into 1/4 inch thick pieces (see the photos of the pre-baked pizza above). If it&#8217;s incredibly watery fresh mozzarella (all brands vary), you may want to let it sit on a paper towel to remove moisture for about 15 minutes then dab the mozzarella with the paper towel to remove any additional moisture.

Bake the pizza

When the oven is ready, dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour. (If you don&#8217;t have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet or the back of a rimmed baking sheet. But a pizza peel is well worth the investment!) Stretch the dough into a circle; see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions. Then gently place the dough onto the pizza peel. 

Spread a thin layer of the pizza sauce over the dough, using about 1/4 to 1/3 cup. Add the mozzarella cheese. Top with a thin layer of fresh grated Parmesan cheese and a few pinches of kosher salt.

Use the pizza peel to carefully transfer the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake the pizza until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 minute in a pizza oven).

Allow the pizza to cool for a minute or two before adding the basil on top (whole leaves, lightly torn, or thinly sliced). Slice into pieces and serve immediately.

Hi Alex,

Thanks for the recipe - where in the oven do you place your pizza stone, top, middle or bottom?

Thank you
Christina :)

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1569270538/y7qwn4i9ilgdiqr5z0cu.mp4

Our best margherita pizza recipe is based on our visits to Italy and years of research! It features tangy pizza sauce & a perfect chewy pizza crust.

Best Margherita Pizza

Make this basic Margherita pizza with our super simple pizza dough recipe, our easy pizza sauce - and then add cherry tomatoes, basil and cheese. A seriously easy Italian meal the whole family will love!

Margherita Pizza Recipe

pizza dough (see notes)

tbsp pizza sauce (see notes)

punnet tiny tomatoes

mozzarella cheese

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-6083915738001&=domain=kidspot

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Top 3 margherita pizza recipe recipes from across the web

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Homemade Margherita Pizza (Secrets ...

Margherita Pizza Recipe

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