Authentic Margherita pizza recipe

Sometimes the simplest ingredients, combined in the simplest of ways, have the power to stop time, erase your woes, and transport you to a place of nirvana-like bliss. Such is the power of the Margherita pizza. Fresh tomato sauce, chewy mozzarella cheese, a sprinkling of basil on a crispy crust? We wouldn’t be surprised if you started levitating.

Ingredients

  Metric  Cups  Imperial  For the dough

• 850 g 00 flour
• 500 ml room temp water
• 5 g salt
• 5 g fresh yeast

• 30 oz 00 flour
• 17.6 fl oz room temp water
• 0.2 oz salt
• 0.2 oz fresh yeast

• 30 oz 00 flour
• 2.1 cups room temp water
• 0.2 oz salt
• 0.2 oz fresh yeast

For the sauce

• 1 can of good quality plum tomatoes (pref San Marzano)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 5 basil leaves

• 1 can of good quality plum tomatoes (pref San Marzano)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 5 basil leaves

• 1 can of good quality plum tomatoes (pref San Marzano)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 5 basil leaves

For the topping

• 3 balls mozzarella
• 15 basil leaves
• 1 cup parmesan
• 1 cup olive oil

• 3 balls mozzarella
• 15 basil leaves
• 1 cup parmesan
• 1 cup olive oil

• 3 balls mozzarella
• 15 basil leaves
• 1 cup parmesan
• 1 cup olive oil

Details

• Cuisine: Italian
• Recipe Type: Main
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 5 mins
• Serves: 5

Step-by-step

1. For the dough: dissolve the yeast into the water. Combine the flour, water and salt together in a bowl before turning out onto a floured work surface and knead for 15 minutes, until you have a smooth and elastic dough. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
2. Cut into 220-260g pieces and roll into tight dough balls. Place in a dish and cover with cling film and a tea towel.
3. Leave to prove for 12-24 hours until the dough balls have completely relaxed and increased in size (by 2/3).
4. For the tomato sauce: put all the ingredients in a blender. Pulse, don’t blend – you want a sauce with a rough texture.
5. To cook: get a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat and preheat your grill. Roll or stretch out your dough ball and lay in the bottom of the hot pan.
6. Spread a good spoonful of the tomato sauce onto the base (leaving a 1″ crust). Season with a pinch of Parmesan.
7. Scatter with 2-3 basil leaves.
8. Break half a mozzarella ball onto the pizza with a trickle of olive oil.
9. Cook on the hob until the base is browned, then put straight under hot grill to finish, about 1-2 minutes. Enjoy!