Margherita Pizza
Pizza Margherita was born in Naples in 1889, its red tomato, white mozzarella, and green basil said to honor the colors of the Italian flag. True Neapolitan Margherita relies on a thin, blistered, wood-fired crust with a puffy leopard-spotted cornicione, San Marzano tomatoes, and fresh fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella.
By YumYum Editorial · Italian
Prep: 20 min · Cook: 10 min · Total: 30 min · Serves 4
Ingredients
- 500g (about 4 cups) "00" flour, plus more for dusting
- 325ml lukewarm water
- 10g fine sea salt
- 2g active dry yeast (or 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1 (14 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes, hand-crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (for sauce)
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella (fior di latte or buffalo), torn or sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- to taste Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water, then mix into the flour and salt, kneading for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours, then divide into 4 balls, place in an oiled container, and refrigerate for 18-24 hours for flavor development.
- Remove the dough 1-2 hours before baking to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven as high as it goes (ideally 500°F/260°C or higher) with a pizza stone or steel inside for at least 45 minutes.
- Season the crushed San Marzano tomatoes with the fine salt; do not cook the sauce, it goes on raw.
- Stretch one dough ball by hand into a 10-12 inch round, keeping the edges slightly thicker for the crust.
- Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce, leaving the rim bare, then scatter torn mozzarella across the top.
- Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for 6-9 minutes until the crust is blistered and golden with melted, bubbling cheese.
- Remove, scatter fresh basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil, slice, and serve immediately.