Ingredients

How to make it

  • To make the dough: In a small bowl, whisk together yeast with 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, heated to 85 degrees. Let sit for 10 minutes. Put flour and sugar into bowl of stand mixer, fitted with dough hook. Mix on low speed to combine. With mixer on, add yeast mixture, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and 1 1/2 cups ice cold water. Knead until smooth and a dough forms around the hook, about 7 minutes. Add salt and continue kneading for 2 minutes more. (If dough feels dry, add a few tablespoons of cold water). Divide dough into four equal portions, roll into tight balls, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
  • Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to come to room temp.
  • Put pizza stone on lowest rack in oven and heat to 500 degrees for at least 40 minutes. (Make sure your oven is clean, because if it's not, it may smoke up your kitchen). Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, dust with flour. using your hands, stretch and shape dough into a 11 to 13 inch circle. Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Drizzle oil around rim of dough. Spoon about 1/4 cup tomato sauce onto dough, leaving a 1 inch border. Season with kosher salt. Arrange one quarter of cheese evenly over pizza. Drizzle pizza with more olive oil. Using a pizza paddle or grasping the edges of the parchment paper, transfer pizza to pizza stone in oven (carefully!). Bake until golden brown, about 13 minutes. Slide parchment paper onto a paddle or the back of a baking sheet, to remove pizza from oven, and transfer to a work surface. Top with fresh basil leaves, drizzle with more olive oil, and slice.
  • Again, this is a classic recipe from Italy; they do not eat the pizza that American's eat. The pizza in Italy is very fresh, very simple, with very few good quality ingredients. The crusts tend to be much thinner than ours, and because of the cooking technique, much crispier. Don't be afraid to use the olive oil and salt, just use to suit your tastes. Also, another way to make margherita pizza is to use fresh sliced tomatoes in place of the tomato sauce. Either way is very acceptable and very Italian! Have fun with this recipe and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

People Who Like This Dish 2
Reviews & Comments 0

Add a Link?

Post a link to another recipe or group by pasting the url into the box where you want it to show up. We'll do the rest.

Post Message or cancel

Maybe List
Hang onto this recipe

while I look at others.

Holding 0 recipes