Margherita Pizza
A blistered, chewy home pizza with San Marzano tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil.
A great home Margherita starts with a hot oven and a well-rested dough. Keep the toppings simple — good tomato sauce, torn mozzarella, a few basil leaves — and let the crust do the heavy lifting.
Ingredients
- 1 ball (about 250 g) pizza dough, room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 5 oz (140 g) fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces
- 8–10 fresh basil leaves
- Semolina or flour, for dusting
Method
- 1
Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet on the top rack and heat the oven to its highest setting (500°F / 260°C or higher) for at least 30 minutes.
- 2
In a small bowl, stir together the crushed tomatoes, olive oil and salt.
- 3
On a lightly floured surface, gently stretch the dough into a 10–12 inch round, leaving a slightly thicker edge.
- 4
Transfer to a semolina-dusted peel or piece of parchment. Spread the sauce to within ½ inch of the edge and scatter over the mozzarella.
- 5
Slide onto the hot stone and bake 7–9 minutes until the crust is blistered and the cheese is bubbling.
- 6
Top with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Slice and serve immediately.
Chef's tips
- Fresh mozzarella can be very wet — tear it and let it drain on paper towels for 10 minutes before topping.
- If you don't have a pizza stone, an upside-down heavy baking sheet works well.