Pizza Margherita

Name: Pizza Margherita
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Campana
Ingredients: 500 g tipo 00 flour; 325 ml Water; 2 g Fresh yeast; 12 g Fine sea salt; 400 g san marzano whole peeled tomatoes; 250 g fior di latte (fresh cow milk mozzarella); 16 leaves fresh basil leaves; 30 ml Extra virgin olive oil

A classic Neapolitan round flatbread topped with crushed San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, aromatic basil leaves, and olive oil.

🇮🇹Italy· Campania

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 540 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

500 g tipo 00 flour — finely milled wheat flour
325 ml Water — lukewarm
2 g Fresh yeast — or 1 g instant dry yeast
12 g Fine sea salt — fine grain
400 g san marzano whole peeled tomatoes — canned, drained of excess juice and crushed by hand
250 g fior di latte (fresh cow milk mozzarella) — drained well and cut into thin strips
16 leaves fresh basil leaves — rinsed and dried gently
30 ml Extra virgin olive oil — fruity Italian oil for drizzling

Equipment

•Pizza stone or heavy baking steel
•Large mixing bowl
•Pizza peel or rimless baking tray
•Kitchen scale

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 540 kcal
fat: 14 g
carbs: 82 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 21 g
calories: 540 kcal

Instructions

1
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water inside a large mixing bowl.
2
Add most of the flour, then mix in salt and remaining flour.
3
Knead by hand on a worktop for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4
Cover the bowl and rest the dough for 6 to 8 hours at room temperature.
5
Divide the dough into four equal balls, cover, and rest for 2 hours.
6
Preheat your oven with a pizza stone on the highest shelf at 250°C for 45 minutes.
7
Crush the canned tomatoes by hand in a bowl with a pinch of salt.
8
Stretch one dough ball on a lightly floured surface using fingertips, preserving a raised outer rim.
9
Spread one ladle of crushed tomatoes across the centre, leaving the border clear.
10
Scatter strips of mozzarella and fresh basil leaves over the sauce.
11
Drizzle a thin swirl of olive oil over the top.
12
Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the crust blisters.

Chef's tips

Slice the mozzarella several hours ahead and let it drain in a sieve to prevent a wet pizza surface. Never use a rolling pin, as it forces fermentation air out of the cornicione (raised crust).