Description
This Pizza Margherita recipe is a simple and delicious way to make a classic Italian favorite at home. Featuring a thin, crispy crust topped with fresh mozzarella, tangy passata sauce, cherry tomatoes, and fragrant basil, it comes together in just four easy steps. The method involves making the dough from scratch, preparing a fresh tomato sauce, and baking on a preheated tray for authentic crispiness. Perfect for a quick homemade pizza night!
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 300g strong bread flour
- 1 tsp instant yeast (from a sachet or a tub)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 200ml warm water
Sauce Ingredients
- 100ml passata
- handful fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
Toppings
- 125g ball mozzarella, sliced
- handful grated or shaved parmesan
- handful cherry tomatoes, halved
- handful basil leaves (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Make the base: Put the flour into a large bowl and stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in 200ml warm water and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until a soft, fairly wet dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. You can let it rise if you wish for a thinner crust, but this is optional.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the passata with the fresh or dried basil and crushed garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Leave the sauce to stand at room temperature while you shape the dough bases.
- Roll out the dough: If you allowed the dough to rise, give it a quick knead, then divide it into two equal balls. On a floured surface, roll out each ball into a thin round approximately 25cm in diameter. The dough should be rolled very thin as it will rise in the oven. Place the rounds onto floured baking sheets.
- Top and bake: Preheat the oven to 240°C (fan 220°C) or gas mark 8. Place another baking sheet or an upturned baking tray on the top shelf of the oven to preheat. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the dough bases using the back of a spoon. Scatter sliced mozzarella, grated parmesan, and halved cherry tomatoes on top. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer one pizza on its baking sheet onto the preheated tray and bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the base is crisp and cheese is melted and golden. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil before serving. Repeat with the remaining pizza.
Notes
- If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour and knead it in.
- If the dough is too stretchy to roll out, let it rest for 10 minutes before trying again.
- For a cooked base, bake the pizza on a preheated tray to help crisp the bottom.
- If the toppings cook before the base, cover the pizza loosely with foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Try variations with toppings like olives, ham, chargrilled artichokes, spicy sausage, jalapeños, spinach and gorgonzola, or mascarpone and pesto for different flavors.
- For a calzone, fold the dough in half over the toppings, seal the edges with water, and bake until golden.
- To make garlic and rosemary bread, leave the dough thicker, brush with olive oil, scatter rosemary sprigs, bake for 15 minutes, then brush with garlic butter.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Pizza Margherita, homemade pizza, Italian pizza, thin crust pizza, easy pizza recipe, mozzarella pizza, tomato basil pizza
