Pizza Margherita
The original pizza was created in Naples, in southern Italy, at the end of the 18th century in honor of the Queen of Italy, Margherita di Savoia. With a high cornicione (the edge) and low center, this is strictly a wood-fired oven baked pizza.
Pizza margherita is the most famous and simplest of pizzas, with its tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil, recalling the colors of the national flag. It is a symbol of Italian cuisine and one of its most emblematic Italian dishes.
Enjoy this classic pizza margherita recipe!
Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Dough:
- 1 kilogram "00" white flour
- 30 grams fine sea salt
- 1 gram fresh yeast
- 600 millilitres water
Pizza Margherita:
- 220 grams pizza dough
- San Marzano tomato sauce
- Buffalo mozzarella
- Fresh basil
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Pizza Dough:
- In a bowl, combine the water and salt and allow to dissolve.
- Add 10% of the flour and mix well; add more flour and the yeast.
- Continue to add the remaining flour and mix well until combined.
- Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
- This can take up to 10 min.
- Place the dough into a lightly floured bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside.
- Let the dough rest for half an hour, then divide into 4-5 round balls.
- Cover with a damp tea towel and allow the dough balls to rise.
- This can take up to 10-12 hrs.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, place on a lightly floured bench and stretch the dough using your hands.
Pizza Margherita:
- Roll out 220 g (7 ¾ ouces) pizza dough.
- Spread the San Marzano tomato sauce.
- Top with buffalo mozzarella, place 4 basil leaves on top, and drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil.
- Bake at 475°F for 15 minutes until the crust has browned and the cheese has melted. Enjoy!
Notes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Great question. If you ask your local baker they might give you some yeast. Dried yeast is generally 3 x stronger than fresh yeast, so 1 gram of fresh yeast is .33 grams of dried yeast. Rising time will be the same. Hope that helps.
Hi after seeing your segment on Food Safari Fire program we are eager to try your Margherita pizza dough recipe in our wood fire oven. Unfortunately it is near impossible to buy the fresh yeast…..or if you can get a hold of it, they sell it in 1kg blocks which is way too much for a home cook. We do have a very good quality dried yeast. Your recipe states 1gm of fresh yeast, would you know how much is the equivalent in dried yeast?
We look forward to hearing from you as we can’t wait to fire up the oven.
regards….Corinne & Bart Favaloro.
Thank you for spotting that. It was fine sea salt, now included above.
pizza dough ingredients say 30gms but what of??