Classic Homemade Pizza Margherita

A harmonious combination of dough, cheese, tomatoes and basil! The classic Pizza Margherita is baked at home in a well-heated oven very quickly. Its thin base is crispy, and the mozzarella remains tender. The tomatoes have time to bake, but retain their shape.
cook time: 1h
Ivy Ramsay
Classic Homemade Pizza Margherita

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

262
Calories
17g
Fat
19g
Carbs
10g
Protein

Ingredients (2 portions)

For dough:

Wheat flour 1.5 cup
Dry yeast 1 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Water 0.5 cup
Salt 0.5 tsp
Olive oil 4 tbsp

For filling:

Tomato paste 3 tbsp
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Garlic 1 clove
Salt to taste
Basil 6 leaf
Mozzarella 200 g
Cherry tomatoes 8 pc

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
How to make Margherita pizza at home? Use premium flour. It must be sifted to remove small debris, saturate the dough with oxygen so that it rises well. Olive oil is used in the classic pizza dough recipe. But it can be replaced with any other refined oil.

Step 2

Step 2
Start making pizza with dough. Heat the water to a temperature of 37-40 degrees. Dissolve sugar in it and add yeast. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, determine the temperature in the following way: place a drop of water on the inside of your wrist. If the feeling is neutral, then the temperature is correct. Leave in a warm place for 5-15 minutes to activate the yeast.

Step 3

Step 3
Add salt, 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the dough and stir well until smooth.

Step 4

Step 4
The properties of flour of the same type, but from different manufacturers, may differ. Therefore, to get the desired consistency, add flour in small portions. When it becomes difficult to knead with a spoon, start doing it with your hands. Knead the dough thoroughly.

Step 5

Step 5
The dough should be soft, tender and slightly stick to your hands. Grease the bowl and hands with vegetable oil. Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with cling film or a towel so that it does not dry out and rises well. Leave in a warm place while you prepare the filling.

Step 6

Step 6
Start preparing the filling. Fresh basil can be replaced with dried. Choose tomatoes that are small, dense and fleshy, so that they do not spread and retain their shape during baking.

Step 7

Step 7
Peel and wash the garlic, cut along the clove into 2 parts. Heat the oil in a hot frying pan. Cook garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring.

Step 8

Step 8
Add tomato paste to the garlic. If the paste is too thick, add a little water so that you can get a smooth paste. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and add salt to taste. Simmer for another 2 minutes.

Step 9

Step 9
Remove limp leaves and hard stems from the basil, rinse, dry and chop with a knife. Add to the pan and stir. The sauce is ready.

Step 10

Step 10
Transfer it to a small container and cool. Remove the garlic, it will no longer be useful to you.

Step 11

Step 11
Cut the mozzarella into pieces 3-5 mm thick. You can grate some of it like I did.

Step 12

Step 12
Wash the tomatoes, remove the stem and cut into circles or simply in half.

Step 13

Step 13
When the sauce has cooled, proceed to forming the pizza. Turn on the oven to preheat to 220 degrees so that it has time to warm up.

Step 14

Step 14
Knead the dough with your hands into a round layer 3-5 mm thick. Leave the edges thicker to create a border.

Step 15

Step 15
Spread the sauce evenly over the dough.

Step 16

Step 16
Spread mozzarella on top.

Step 17

Step 17
Next, arrange the tomatoes.

Step 18

Step 18
Bake for 10-15 minutes on the middle shelf of an oven preheated to 220 degrees in the “top-bottom” mode. Determine the exact time and temperature based on your oven. When the pizza is ready, the edges of the dough will be slightly browned. For a perfect Margherita pizza, the Mozzarella pieces should only be slightly melted. I left it in the oven for a little while and it all spread out. Next time Iʼll make the temperature higher.

Additional rubrics

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