My Margherita Pizza Recipe

The Margherita pizza, often hailed as the queen of pizzas, embodies the essence of simplicity, elegance, and the rich culinary tradition of Italy. At its core, the Margherita pizza is a testament to the notion that the most memorable dishes often arise from the humblest of ingredients. Crafted with a harmonious blend of ripe tomatoes, creamy buffalo mozzarella, aromatic basil, and a drizzle of olive oil, this pizza transcends the ordinary, offering a taste experience that is both profound and profoundly simple. My personal journey to perfecting the Margherita pizza recipe is a narrative of passion, tradition, and the relentless pursuit of flavor perfection.

The inception of the Margherita pizza dates back to the late 19th century, named in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy. Legend has it that during a visit to Naples, the queen was presented with a pizza that bore the colors of the Italian flag: red tomatoes, white mozzarella, and green basil. This culinary creation not only delighted the queen but also marked a momentous occasion in the history of Italian cuisine. Drawing inspiration from this storied past, my Margherita pizza recipe is a homage to the timeless allure of Italian cooking, meticulously crafted to honor its royal heritage.

The foundation of any great pizza lies in its dough. My recipe begins with a carefully leavened dough, allowing it to rise slowly, which ensures a crust that is both tender and crisp. This meticulous attention to the dough serves as the perfect canvas for the vibrant flavors to come. Next, the choice of tomatoes is paramount. Only the ripest, juiciest tomatoes are used, hand-crushed to retain their natural sweetness and acidity. This tomato sauce, spread thinly across the dough, lays the groundwork for what is to become a masterpiece of culinary simplicity.

The choice of cheese is equally critical. Buffalo mozzarella, with its rich texture and delicate flavor, is the only choice that meets the lofty standards of this recipe. Sliced thinly and scattered atop the tomato base, the mozzarella melts into pools of creamy delight under the intense heat of the oven. The transformation is magical, as the cheese melds with the tomato, creating a union of flavors that is both rich and refreshing.

No Margherita pizza would be complete without the final flourish of basil. Fresh basil leaves, added just moments before the pizza completes its journey in the oven, wilt slightly, releasing their aromatic oils and infusing the pizza with their herbaceous fragrance. This not only adds a burst of color but also introduces a fresh, peppery note that balances the richness of the cheese and the acidity of the tomatoes.

The crowning touch, a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil, adds a layer of complexity and depth. The olive oil, with its fruity, peppery notes, enhances the flavors of the other ingredients, binding them together in a symphony of taste that is both nuanced and bold.

Crafting the perfect Margherita pizza is an art that demands patience, precision, and an unwavering commitment to quality. Each ingredient is selected with care, each step executed with reverence for the tradition it represents. The result is a pizza that is not just a dish but an experience—a celebration of Italian cuisine that is as delightful to the palate as it is to the eye.

In sharing my Margherita pizza recipe, I invite you to partake in this culinary tradition, to experience the joy of creating something truly extraordinary from the simplest of ingredients. This pizza, the queen of pizzas, stands as a testament to the beauty of simplicity, the importance of quality, and the enduring allure of Italian cooking. It is a reminder that sometimes, the most memorable dishes are those that speak the language of simplicity, elegance, and tradition.

Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Olive Oil, and Basil Pizza

Recipe by DaveCourse: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

8

minutes

Calories

600

kcal

Here is the queen of pizzas, now more than one hundred years old. This original Neapolitan pizza is made without the addition of cherry tomatoes. It’s the simplicity and quality of the ingredients that make this pizza so wonderful.

Ingredients

• For the Dough

• 1 portion (9.5 ounces) nea­politan pizza dough at room temperature

• Caputo flour for dusting

• For the Pizza Toppings

• 1 / 4 cup salsa semplice

• 2 ounces fresh mozzarella dibufala or fiordi latte, squeezed gently to release moisture, sliced, then drained on paper towels

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 fresh basil leaves

Directions

• Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and place a baking stone on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Have ready a pizza peel.
• Remove the dough from the plastic bag, keeping the smooth top side facing up. Place it on a lightly floured work surface and lightly dust the dough with flour. Using your fingertips (but not your nails), press down on the dough to flatten it and push it outward into a larger circle. Flip the dough over and repeat on the other side, and then flip the dough back over. (You always want the smooth side up.)
• Thinking of the circle of dough as a clock face, make a fist with your left hand and place it firmly at the 9 o’clock position, about 1 inch in from the edge (this will keep the edge of the dough slightly thicker). Place your right hand at the 3 o’clock position, putting your thumb on top of the dough and your other fingers underneath. Lift the dough and stretch it a bit. Move the dough a one-eighth turn and repeat. Continue until you have evenly stretched the dough into a 9-inch circle with slightly thicker edges.
• Dust the pizza peel generously with flour. Using your hands and working quickly, lift and transfer the dough to the pizza peel. Give the peel a few shakes back and forth to make sure the dough isn’t sticking.
• To top the pizza: Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Distribute the slices of mozzarella evenly over the top. Drizzle the olive oil over the cheese.
• Give the peel another gentle shake back and forth just to make sure the dough isn’t sticking. Slide the dough from the peel onto the baking stone using a quick jerking motion with your arm. (Work quickly to slide the pizza into the oven and close the door so the oven temperature doesn’t drop too much.) Bake the pizza until the crust is crisp and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Using the peel, remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Arrange the basil leaves like petals of a flower in the center of the pizza. Slice the pizza into wedges, or leave whole to be eaten folded in quarters, and serve immediately.