Margherita Pizza

This recipe for margherita pizza is practically foolproof, where specialty ingredients and fancy pizza ovens are not required. Use our step-by-step guide to learn exactly how to mix, shape, top, and bake your pizza so that it comes out perfectly every time. Whether you’re preparing homemade pizza for the first time or a seasoned pro, you’ll love how simple, easy, and delicious this recipe is.

• It’s the only margherita pizza recipe you’ll ever need. This margherita pizza bakes up perfectly every time, with a crust that’s both crispy and chewy, and toppings that are simple and fresh.
• The dough can be tailored to your schedule. Some days you have time to mix the dough and make the pizza on the same day, while other times you need the dough to be waiting in the fridge or the freezer. We’ve figured out how to make this pizza dough work for you so that you don’t have to resort to a store-bought substitute.

• Flour: Some bakers swear by 00 flour for pizza, but this recipe relies on the pantry staple all-purpose flour.
• Yeast: Both instant and active dry yeast work for this pizza dough. The key is to check the expiration date before starting and to make sure it foams and smells yeasty when combined with warm water and sugar. 
• Strained tomatoes: The skins, seeds, and some of the moisture are removed from fresh, uncooked tomatoes to produce strained tomatoes. The result is a smooth and flavorful base for pizza sauce. This style of tomatoes is often sold in cartons or glass jars. 
• Mozzarella cheese: Fresh mozzarella cheese has a mild, creamy flavor, and differs from the blocks and shredded bags of low-moisture mozzarella. Look for rounds of this fresh cheese in the deli department of your grocery store. 
• Fresh basil: Tear and scatter tender fresh basil leaves over the pizza while it is still hot from the oven.

1. Bloom the yeast. Dissolve the yeast in a mixture of warm water, granulated sugar, and olive oil if using. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure that the water temperature is between 100°F and 110°F so that it is warm enough to activate the yeast, but not so hot that it kills it.
2. Make the dough. Mix the all-purpose flour and kosher salt into the yeast mixture with the paddle attachment until moistened and combined, then switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic.
3. Let the dough rise. Lightly coat the dough in olive oil to prevent a skin from forming, then place in a clean bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk. This should take 1 to 2 hours.
4. Heat the oven and pizza stone. A hot oven and pizza stone are essential, so start heating the oven early. A baking stone needs an hour of heating while a baking sheet needs just 30 minutes.
5. Make the pizza sauce. Enhance strained tomatoes with a few cloves of garlic, olive oil, and kosher salt. That’s it!
6. Divide and shape the dough. Punch down the dough to release excess carbon dioxide and more evenly distribute the yeast. Divide the pizza dough in half, then gently work each piece into 10-to 12-inch rounds. 
7. Top the pizza. Sprinkle a pizza peel generously with cornmeal to keep the dough from sticking. (I like this pizza peel because it is wide with a thin lip and has a handy loop for hanging in my pantry.) Top the dough with a thin layer of sauce and large pieces of torn, fresh mozzarella cheese. 
8. Bake the pizza. Slide the pizza onto the hot baking stone and bake until the crust is browned and crisp, and the cheese is melted. 

• While you can use measuring cups, a kitchen scale helps to make sure that you are using the correct measurements for a dough that is crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside.
• Find strained tomatoes, sometimes labeled passata, on the top shelf of the canned tomato aisle. Common brands include Pomi, Flora, and Mutti. Tomato purée is a good substitute if you cannot find strained tomatoes. 
• For the best browning and crust texture, use a baking stone. I prefer rectangular baking stones because they offer more room when moving round pizzas around on them, and they can also be used for flatbreads that aren’t round. An inverted baking sheet is a solid substitute for homemade pizza.

• Divide the kneaded dough, shape into rounds, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or freeze for up to 3 months before using. 
• Transfer frozen pizza dough to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. With refrigerated or thawed dough, lightly coat the dough with olive oil, place on a rimmed baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until slightly puffed and easy to shape, about 2 hours. We don’t recommend refrigerating or freezing dough that has already risen once at room temperature, as the dough becomes very sticky and fragile.

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