Margherita Pizza
Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
For the Pizza Dough
- 300 ml warm water
- 2 g active dry yeast
- 5 g sugar
- 10 g salt
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 20 ml olive oil
For the Toppings
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce, for topping, as needed
- 250 g mozzarella cheese, fresh, torn or shredded
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, for topping, as needed
- 2 tablespoons semolina flour, for dusting
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the warm water, active dry yeast, and sugar. Stir thoroughly until the yeast and sugar are dissolved.
⏱️ 2 min
- 2
Add the salt and all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients. Stir with a spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms.
⏱️ 3 min
- 3
Pour the olive oil into the dough mixture. Continue to mix until the olive oil is fully absorbed and the dough comes together.
⏱️ 2 min
- 4
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for approximately 10 minutes. The dough should become smooth and elastic.
⏱️ 10 min
- 5
Place the kneaded dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until its size has doubled.
⏱️ 120 min
- 6
Once the dough has risen, gently transfer it to a lightly floured surface.
⏱️ 1 min
- 7
Divide the dough into two equal portions.
⏱️ 1 min
- 8
Shape each portion into a round ball.
⏱️ 2 min
- 9
Cover the dough balls with plastic wrap or a clean cloth and let them rest for an additional 30 minutes. This helps relax the gluten, making the dough easier to stretch.
⏱️ 30 min
- 10
Preheat your pizza oven (such as an Ooni) to its highest temperature, typically around 450-500°C (850-950°F). If using a conventional oven, preheat to 230-260°C (450-500°F) with a pizza stone or steel inside.
⏱️ 15 min•🌡️ 475
- 11
Lightly dust a pizza peel with semolina flour to prevent sticking. Gently stretch one of the dough balls by hand, working from the center outwards, to form a round pizza base of your desired thickness.
⏱️ 3 min
- 12
Transfer the stretched dough to the prepared pizza peel.
⏱️ 1 min
- 13
Spread a layer of tomato sauce evenly over the pizza base, leaving a small border around the edge for the crust.
⏱️ 1 min
- 14
Distribute the fresh mozzarella cheese over the tomato sauce.
⏱️ 1 min
- 15
Place fresh basil leaves on top of the cheese.
⏱️ 1 min
- 16
Carefully transfer the pizza from the peel into the preheated oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and puffed, and the mozzarella cheese is melted and bubbly. This usually takes 1-3 minutes in a very hot pizza oven, or 8-12 minutes in a conventional oven.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 475
- 17
Remove the baked pizza from the oven, slice, and serve immediately. Repeat with the second dough ball and toppings.
⏱️ 1 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Margherita Pizza
For the Pizza Dough
- 300 ml warm water
- 2 g active dry yeast
- 5 g sugar
- 10 g salt
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 20 ml olive oil
For the Toppings
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce, for topping, as needed
- 250 g mozzarella cheese, fresh, torn or shredded
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, for topping, as needed
- 2 tablespoons semolina flour, for dusting
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the warm water, active dry yeast, and sugar. Stir thoroughly until the yeast and sugar are dissolved.
⏱️ 2 min - 2
Add the salt and all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients. Stir with a spoon or your hands until a shaggy dough forms.
⏱️ 3 min - 3
Pour the olive oil into the dough mixture. Continue to mix until the olive oil is fully absorbed and the dough comes together.
⏱️ 2 min - 4
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for approximately 10 minutes. The dough should become smooth and elastic.
⏱️ 10 min - 5
Place the kneaded dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until its size has doubled.
⏱️ 120 min - 6
Once the dough has risen, gently transfer it to a lightly floured surface.
⏱️ 1 min - 7
Divide the dough into two equal portions.
⏱️ 1 min - 8
Shape each portion into a round ball.
⏱️ 2 min - 9
Cover the dough balls with plastic wrap or a clean cloth and let them rest for an additional 30 minutes. This helps relax the gluten, making the dough easier to stretch.
⏱️ 30 min - 10
Preheat your pizza oven (such as an Ooni) to its highest temperature, typically around 450-500°C (850-950°F). If using a conventional oven, preheat to 230-260°C (450-500°F) with a pizza stone or steel inside.
⏱️ 15 min•🌡️ 475 - 11
Lightly dust a pizza peel with semolina flour to prevent sticking. Gently stretch one of the dough balls by hand, working from the center outwards, to form a round pizza base of your desired thickness.
⏱️ 3 min - 12
Transfer the stretched dough to the prepared pizza peel.
⏱️ 1 min - 13
Spread a layer of tomato sauce evenly over the pizza base, leaving a small border around the edge for the crust.
⏱️ 1 min - 14
Distribute the fresh mozzarella cheese over the tomato sauce.
⏱️ 1 min - 15
Place fresh basil leaves on top of the cheese.
⏱️ 1 min - 16
Carefully transfer the pizza from the peel into the preheated oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and puffed, and the mozzarella cheese is melted and bubbly. This usually takes 1-3 minutes in a very hot pizza oven, or 8-12 minutes in a conventional oven.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 475 - 17
Remove the baked pizza from the oven, slice, and serve immediately. Repeat with the second dough ball and toppings.
⏱️ 1 min