Margherita Pizza

Headnote

This is the classic in its most disciplined form: a supple wheat dough, a clean tomato base, milky mozzarella, and basil added only at the end so its perfume remains intact. The balance depends on restraint; each element must remain distinct, yet the whole must eat as one. Properly made, the crust is light at the rim, tender within, and marked by the heat of the oven.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Pizza

Cuisine or origin: Italian

Course type: Main course

Yield: 1 pizza

Serving size: 1 pizza, approximately 360 g

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 8 to 10 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Digital scale

Dough scraper

Clean work surface

30 cm pizza tray or baking tray

Oven

Pizza peel, if using a stone or steel

Ingredients

Dough

Wheat flour: 180 g

Yeast: 2 g

Salt: 3 g

Olive oil: 5 g

Water: 105 g

Topping

Tomato sauce: 60 g

Mozzarella cheese, torn or sliced: 90 g

Basil: 4 g

Olive oil: 6 g

Salt: 1 g

Method

1. Combine the wheat flour, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the water and olive oil, then mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will look rough and slightly sticky.

2. Turn the dough onto a clean work surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and lightly resilient under the fingers. It should stretch without tearing easily and feel supple rather than tight.

3. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and leave at room temperature for 60 minutes, or until visibly expanded and aerated. It should feel lighter and hold a gentle indentation when pressed.

4. Set the oven to 250°C and allow it to preheat fully for at least 20 minutes. If using a pizza stone or steel, place it in the oven during preheating.

5. Shape the dough into a round 30 cm base on a lightly floured surface, keeping the edge slightly thicker than the center. Transfer it to the tray or peel without compressing the rim.

6. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a narrow border clean. Distribute the mozzarella over the sauce, then season with the salt. Finish with the olive oil in a thin, even thread.

7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden at the edges, the base is cooked through, and the mozzarella is melted with a few browned spots. The center should remain tender, not wet.

8. Remove the pizza from the oven and scatter the basil over the surface immediately. Let it stand for 1 minute before slicing so the cheese settles and the aroma opens.

Plating and serving

Serve the pizza whole, then cut into even slices. The crust should frame a bright tomato layer, molten cheese, and fresh basil, with the olive oil lending sheen rather than heaviness.

Professional notes

Use the mozzarella sparingly; excess moisture will soften the center and blur the structure. The basil belongs after baking, never before, so its flavor remains sharp and clean. A fully preheated oven is essential for a crisp base and proper oven spring.