Pizza is irresistible. Everyone loves it and the toppings and choice are endless. But sometimes simplicity rules and it's particularly true for Pizza Margherita. There are few ingredients and it's the freshness of the flavors that make this pizza perfect. If you're looking for a pie loaded with garlic and oregano this is not the one for you. If you're looking for one that is uncomplicated and fresh tasting you have found the right one!
Ingredients for Pizza Margherita:
6 individual pizzas
1 pound of pizza dough, room temperature
extra virgin olive oil
*1/2 - 1 pound fresh mozzarella
1 28 - ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
a handful of fresh basil
pinch of kosher salt
* This recipe only needs 1/2 pound of cheese. However, if your family is anything like mine pieces of cheese will disappear when you turn your head...so I always have extra.
medium ground cornmeal for dusting the peel
flour for rolling and shaping the flatbread
You will also need a pizza stone, peel, and a rolling pin.
I have the Old Stone Oven Rectangular Pizza Stone. Click HERE to learn more about the pizza stone I use.
I have the Pizzacraft Pizza Peel. Click HERE to learn more about the peel.
Time - Saving Tip: This recipe calls for premade pizza dough which saves a lot of time.
Let's see what we need.
Time to cook.
Drain the tomatoes and save the liquid for soup or another sauce. Pulse the tomatoes a few times in a food processor. You still want a little texture to the tomatoes. Stir in a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil; set aside.
Slice the mozzarella into thin slices and set aside.
Place the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 equal balls. Cover with plastic wrap and bring to room temperature. I usually take my dough out of the refrigerator in the morning to use late in the afternoon.
Place the stone on the bottom rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. When the dough is at room temperature it is easy to shape. With your hands flatten one of the balls into a disc. Starting with one section of the dough start pressing gently with your fingers, turning the disk as you flatten. By now the disc will be larger and flatter. Roll it out a little more. If needed sprinkle a little flour on the dough so the rolling pin doesn't stick. I like the shape to be roughly 5" x 6". I don't worry about making them perfectly round.
Sprinkle a little cornmeal on the peel. Move it around a bit to make sure there is enough cornmeal on the peel so that the dough will not stick. Place one pizza on top and spread with 1 tablespoon of sauce and a couple of pieces of cheese. I use about 2 slices per pizza...I usually rip one in half so the pizza is pretty much covered. Using the peel slide the pizza on the heated stone. Repeat the process as the first one cooks. This is a fairly quick process.
The pizza cooks pretty quickly. You will be able to fit 3 and maybe 4 of them on the stone at once. It all works out since the first two will probably be cooked by the time the last two are ready to go into the oven. They're done when they are nicely browned. All you need to do is add the basil and they're ready!
They're ready! They look awesome and tastes amazing. You may notice that the colors match the Italian flag. These are fun to make and everyone loves them. This is pretty much a win-win.
Enjoy!
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