Classic Margherita Pizza

Classic Margherita Pizza is an Italian inspired pizza with fresh tomato sauce and fresh basil leaves, baked quickly in a very hot oven.

Classic Margherita Pizza

It is great to have a Classic Margherita Pizza, whenever I want, without leaving the house.  This is a tried and true recipe that always yields a wonderful pizza that tastes like it came from the best New York Pizza Joint.

New York Style Pizza Dough

For a great Classic Margherita Pizza, you must first start out with a great New York Style Pizza Dough.

The crust has to have the right “bite.” You want to hear a crackle and a crunch with your bite and then the pizza dough should have a chewy texture.

This New York Style Pizza Dough is the closest I have come to rea New York Pizza, so give it a try when you make your next Classic Margherita Pizza.

While you are getting your toppings together, place your Pizza Stone on the middle rack of the oven and turn heat to its highest setting (550). Let the Pizza Stone and your oven heat for an hour. Make sure to remove your New York Style Pizza Dough from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for your pizza.

Meanwhile, make the simple Pizza Sauce – To a Vitamix or Blender, add San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil and salt and give it a whirl. This simple Pizza Sauce is wonderful on a Margherita Pizza.

Toppings for Classic Margherita Pizza

Once your New York Style Pizza Dough is all ready to go, get your toppings in order.

Roll out the New York Style Pizza Dough

Put flour on work space and flatten dough.

The bottom should be the bottom and the top should be the top. Rub an extra amount of flour on the bottom of the dough and then turn over and use your fingers to mark the crust all around the circle. Pick up the dough and go back and forth and around, from hand to hand and let gravity stretch it. Use your fists around to stretch it more. It should be about 12 inches.

Turn it over and add a little more flour to the bottom.

Italian Margherita Pizza

Put the sauce in the center of the stretched dough and use the back of a spoon in a circular motion to spread it evenly across the surface, stopping approximately 1/2 inch from the edges. Slice the cheese into large pieces and place gently on the sauce and drizzle a little olive oil over the pie.

Using a pizza peel, pick up the pie and slide it onto the heated stone in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, approximately 4 to 8 minutes.

Classic Margherita Pizza

Remove from oven and scatter basil leaves over the top.

Italian Margherita Pizza

I love onions and my husband does not, so only half the pizza gets onions. Sometimes I put the basil on top of the cooked pizza and sometimes, I put it on the pizza before cooking. I can’t decide which I like better, you see, I’m wild that way.

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Here is the handy printable recipe:

Classic Margherita Pizza

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

Dough

• See my New York Style Pizza Dough recipe

Margherita

• 1 12- inch round pizza dough
• 3 Tablespoons pizza sauce
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 ounces Whole Mozzarella sliced
• 5 Fresh Basil Leaves fresh

Pizza Sauce

• 1 Whole Peeled Tomatoes drained, core steam removed
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sprinkle of Sea Salt

Instructions

Dough

• Remove the New York Style Pizza Dough 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza.
• Put flour on work space and flatten dough.
• The bottom should be the bottom and the top should be the top.
• Rub an extra amount of flour on the bottom of the dough and then turn over.
• Use your fingers to mark the crust all around the circle.
• Pick it up and go back and forth and around, from hand to hand and let gravity stretch it.
• Use your fists around to stretch it more. It should be about 12 inches.
• Turn it over and add a little more flour to the bottom.

Pizza Sauce

• Add all ingredients to a food processor and whirl it until desired texture.

Margherita

• Place pizza stone on the middle rack of oven and turn heat to its highest setting (550). Let it heat for an hour.
• Put the sauce in the center of the stretched dough and use the back of a spoon in a circular motion to spread it evenly across the surface, stopping approximately 1/2 inch from the edges.
• Slice the cheese into large pieces and place gently on the sauce.
• Drizzle a little olive oil over the pie.
• Using a pizza peel, pick up the pie and slide it onto the heated stone in the oven.
• Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, approximately 4 to 8 minutes.
• Remove from oven and scatter basil leaves over the top.

Notes

If you want to eat the pizza the same day that you prepared the dough, allow a 3-4 hour bench rest at room temperature.

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Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Calories: 0kcal | Carbohydrates: 0g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0% | Vitamin C: 0% | Calcium: 0% | Iron: 0%

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