Pizza Margherita

This is our favorite pizza dough and our favorite pizza. A lot of people don’t add the basil to pizza margherita until after it’s out of the oven, but we like to bake ours right into the pizza. It may not be as pretty, but we think that the flavors really melt together best this way.

Pizza Dough
Source: Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
*Makes enough for three thin pizza crusts.

1 3/4 cups water, divided (1/2 cup of the water should be warm, the rest should remain at tap temperature)
2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (1 envelope)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
Non-stick cooking spray or extra virgin olive oil for brushing bowl

1. Measure 1/4 cup of warm water into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle in the envelope of yeast, and let stand until the yeast dissolves, approximately 10 minutes.

2. Add the remaining 1/4 cup warm water to the bowl, plus the remaining 1 1/4 cups of tap water and the 2 T of olive oil. Meanwhile, mix the flour and the salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the liquid ingredients (holding back a tablespoon or two) to the flour mixture and combine. If the dough does not readily form into a ball, add the remaining liquid and continue to mix. Process until the dough is smooth.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough into a large oiled bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

4. Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and use a chef’s knife to cut the dough into three equal portions.

Pizza Margherita
Source: Original Recipe

I portion of pizza dough
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Mozzerella cheese, freshly shredded
1 large tomato, sliced as thinly as possible
1 bunch of basil, roughly chopped
Black pepper
Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425. 

2. Grease a pizza pan with extra virgin olive oil or nonstick spray and stretch out the dough to cover the pan.

3. Lightly brush the dough with extra virgin olive oil, taking care to brush the crust.  Sprinkle with chopped garlic.

4. Sprinkle approximately half of the freshly shredded mozzerella onto the pizza, and top with the sliced tomatoes and chopped basil.

5. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the tomato and basil.

6. Sprinkle with black pepper and parmesan cheese.

7. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes.