Italian pizza: how to make the classic Margherita at home. Pizza Margherita, Italian classic recipe at home

Many people know that Margherita pizza is one of the most famous Italian traditional dishes, popular both in Europe and around the world. However, not everyone knows what the legend about the origin of this pizza is.

It is believed that shortly after the unification of Italy in 1861, King Umberto I and Queen Margaret visited Naples. During her stay in this city, the queen became tired of French cuisine, which was standard throughout Europe at that time. She asked local chefs to prepare her something specific, Italian.

Local chef Raffaele Esposito, who worked at Pizzeria Brandi, came up with a special pizza with buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil. The Queen liked this dish, so the pizza was named after her.

Chef Esposito was quite original because he simply used ingredients that match the colors of the Italian flag. Even today, the Margherita is a symbol of Italian nationalism and an object of cultural pride.

To this day, many conservative food experts believe that the only true pizza is the Margherita. In fact, it can be called one of the three classic Neapolitan pizzas with an STG rating. This means that there are standard rules and methods for creating an authentic Margherita. The Italian classic Margherita pizza recipe is followed to this day.

How is this dish prepared?

Of course, in the original version, pizza was baked in a stone oven, but nowadays modern ovens and ovens are used. But you can still prepare Margherita pizza at home according to the classic recipe.

What do you need for this?

To prepare this dish, you will need the following:

For the test:

1 packet of active dry yeast;
2 glasses of warm water;
half a teaspoon of sugar;
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling;
2.5 teaspoons kosher salt;
extra virgin olive oil.

For the filling:

400 grams of peeled whole tomatoes;
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano;
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin oil; coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper;
1 kg buffalo mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced;
32 large basil leaves, hand torn into pieces.

How to do this?

The Italian classic recipe for Margherita pizza (see photo of the dish in the review) is as follows. In a large bowl, combine the yeast with 1/2 cup warm water and the sugar and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1.5 cups warm water, 4 cups flour and kosher salt, and stir until a soft dough forms. Place it on a well-floured work surface and knead, adding more flour as needed, until a silky but soft dough forms.

Use a wooden spatula to better knead the dough. Transfer it to a lightly greased bowl and brush the top with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Next, according to the classic Margherita pizza recipe, you need to do the following.

How to prepare pizza?

Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Crumple it and divide it into 4 parts. Shape each piece into a ball. Rub each ball with oil and place on a baking sheet. Cover them with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a draft-free area for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, place the pizza tray in the oven and preheat the oven to 260 degrees. Heat the tray in it for 45 minutes. Pass the tomatoes through a meat grinder or chop them in a food processor. They should be chopped, but not mashed into fine puree. Mix the resulting mass with oregano and one tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. These are actions without which it is impossible to make real, exactly according to the classic recipe, Margherita pizza.

How to bake Margarita?

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one ball of dough into a round (about 30cm in diameter). Spread a quarter of the prepared tomato mass over its surface, leaving about 2.5 cm of free edges. Then spread a quarter of the chopped cheese evenly, then pour one tablespoon of butter on top. Season with sea salt and pepper and place the pizza on the tray. Bake until bottom is browned and cheese is melted. This will take approximately 8 minutes. Sprinkle a quarter of the basil over the finished pizza and let it sit for 3 minutes before serving.

These are the actions suggested by the classic Margherita pizza recipe. Repeat all steps with remaining dough and filling.

Whole wheat flour option

As you can see, the dough in the classic Margherita pizza recipe is made from white flour. But it is quite possible to diversify the composition of the dish and use whole wheat flour. It may seem strange to many, but a whole wheat tortilla doesn't have to look like cardboard. If you prepare it correctly, you can make Margherita pizza healthier and lower in calories.

It's best to prepare this dough the day before you bake the pizza to give it time to proof. In addition, the aroma always increases with longer fermentation times. Next, you can prepare Margherita pizza according to the classic recipe listed above. All you need is:

5 cups whole grain wheat flour;
1 ¾ spoons of tea salt;
2 tablespoons olive oil;
2 tablespoons of tea sugar;
1 teaspoon instant yeast (active dry);
1¾ cups cold water plus 2 tablespoons;
1 tablespoon corn flour.

How to make whole grain dough?

Using a large metal spoon, stir all ingredients in a deep bowl until completely combined. Then mix everything with a mixer on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it forms a ball. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then mix again on medium speed for 2 minutes. If it turns out too soft and sticky, add a little flour.

Transfer the dough to a work bench, rub with flour to absorb surface moisture, then roll into a ball. Place in a bowl coated with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise at room temperature for an hour and a half, then remove, roll into a ball and return to the bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Multi-cheese option

As you can understand from the above, the composition of Margherita pizza - according to the classic recipe - includes tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese. But, in addition to the original old version, many updated versions have appeared that taste no worse. Chefs often experiment and combine the ingredients of several dishes into one. This is how the Margherita pizza with four cheeses appeared. This is a rather interesting version of an Italian classic. It's easy to prepare, and the pizza turns out very tasty!

For this interesting version of the dish you will need:

1/4 cup olive oil;
1 tablespoon chopped garlic;
1/2 teaspoon sea salt;
8 medium tomatoes, chopped;
2 (25 cm diameter) pre-baked pizza flatbreads;
250 grams of chopped mozzarella cheese;
150 grams of crushed fontina cheese;
10 fresh basil leaves, washed and dried;
half a glass of fresh Parmesan cheese - grated;
half a cup of crumbled feta cheese.

How to make Margherita pizza with four cheeses?

Mix olive oil, garlic and salt, combine with finely chopped tomatoes (without skins) and let stand for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.

Brush each pizza base evenly with tomato mixture. Sprinkle mozzarella and fontina cheeses evenly over top. Place the remaining tomato mixture on top, then sprinkle with chopped basil, Parmesan and feta cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. This will take approximately 10 minutes.

Perhaps the most common pizza on the globe, symbolizing the colors of the Italian flag, named after one of the queens, is Margherita pizza.

It includes only three main ingredients, so at first glance it seems very simple to prepare. However, there are pitfalls here too.

Let me tell you how to prepare the perfect dish with a beautiful name and appearance.

Margarita: classic version with thin crust

To prepare, you need to take the following products: for the dough: flour – 1.5 tbsp; 250 ml water; yeast – 5 g; for filling: 7-8 mozzarella balls; tomato paste – 4 tbsp; cherry tomatoes – 6-7 pcs.; basil leaves; garlic; hard cheese – 50 g; olive oil.

Italian pizza is prepared only on thinly rolled dough, and its sides should be very large and fluffy.

Let us also strive for this standard. Of course, our pizza will be baked in the oven and not in the oven, as it should be, but the taste will be as close to ideal as possible.

Recipe. Pizza Margherita is prepared like this:

I add yeast to the flour and add salt. I knead the dough, adding water.
Finely chop the garlic and basil and mix with tomato paste and oil.
I use the dough to make a pizza base. I roll out a flat cake thin in the middle with thick sides.
I evenly distribute the prepared filling on top.
I cut the tomatoes into rings and, alternating with mozzarella balls, place them on top of the filling.
I sprinkle it with olive oil and send it to a preheated oven at 220 degrees. oven for ten minutes.
I grate hard cheese and sprinkle it on the pizza. I put it in the oven for another 2-3 minutes.
I distribute fresh basil leaves evenly over the melted cheese and serve.

The pizza looks great thanks to the combination of cheese and tomatoes. So this pizza can adequately decorate any holiday table.

Margarita on ready-made flatbread

If you have limited time or don't want to bother with preparing the dough, use ready-made tortillas made from wheat flour. They are often sold in stores under the name Tortilla.

Of course, such dough will only vaguely resemble the traditional basis of an Italian dish. But why not experiment?

To prepare pizza using ready-made dough, you need the following products:

flatbread – 1 pc.; mozzarella balls; olive oil – 2 tablespoons; balsamic vinegar – 1 tbsp; tomato – 1 pc.; basil leaves; garlic.

Pizza recipe:

I will cut the mozzarella into thick rings, the tomato into thin circles.
I chop basil leaves and three cloves of garlic.
I’ll add chopped garlic to the olive oil and grease the finished wheat tortilla with it. I leave a little garlic oil.
I bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees. oven for five minutes.
I take it out of the oven and immediately distribute half the portion of chopped cheese.
Next, distribute the tomatoes and add spices if necessary.
Spread the remaining half of the cheese portion evenly on top, sprinkle with basil (also half of the total volume).
I put it in the oven and wait for the cheese to melt (no more than 6-8 minutes).
I add balsamic vinegar to the garlic oil and pour it over the finished pizza. Before serving, sprinkle with the remaining basil. Pizza is cut into portions. I recommend eating it hot.

Margarita for vegetarians

Do you think this is impossible and that classic pizza with mozzarella can’t compare with the vegetarian option? It’s worth a try, especially since there are special cheeses with enzymes of non-animal origin. This is the cheese we will use.

For vegetarian pizza, the following ingredients are required:

for dough: flour; water – 1 tbsp.; yeast – 1 sachet; salt – ½ teaspoon; vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons;
for filling: cheese – 140 g; tomatoes – 0.5 kg; tomato paste – 3 tablespoons; olive oil – 2 tablespoons; granulated sugar – 1 teaspoon; one onion; basil; garlic.

Recipe. Vegetarian pizza is prepared as follows:

I pour yeast into warm water and add some salt.
I sift the flour and gradually add it to the yeast in small portions. I knead the dough.
Add vegetable oil and knead again. I leave it in a warm place.
I cut the tomatoes into cubes, after removing the skin. To make peeling the skin easier, scald the tomato with boiling water and get to work right away.
I chop the garlic clove and cut the onion into small cubes. I put it in a frying pan and simmer a little in olive oil.
I put chopped tomatoes, tomato paste into the frying pan, add a little salt and granulated sugar. You can add spices and chopped basil. I stir the whole mass and continue to simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes until thickened.
I divide the entire volume of the risen dough into 3 equal pieces. If you plan to make only one pizza, then the amount of ingredients must be reduced by three times.
I roll out a layer with a thin bottom and thick sides, grease it with oil. I distribute the resulting tomato mass on top.
I cut the cheese into thin slices and distribute it evenly over the mass.
I decorate with whole basil leaves (you can do this before serving).
I spray the surface of the pizza with oil and place it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees. oven. Baking time is about half an hour.

Margarita with herbs

This recipe is for spicy pizza lovers. Traditional mozzarella is supplemented with oregano, ground red pepper, and cheese is also used, which adds its own salty note.

To bake herb pizza, you need the following products:

for dough: flour – 2 tbsp; water – 1 tbsp.; dry yeast – 1 sachet; sugar – 1 tbsp; salt – 1 teaspoon;
for filling: tomato paste – ½ tbsp.; mozzarella – 1 package; 80 g hard cheese; spices and herbs.

Home cooking process:

I knead the dough from the products available on the list. I leave it to proof.
I add oregano, pepper, and spices of choice to the tomato paste (you can use a ready-made pizza kit).
I roll out the dough into a sheet of small thickness (up to 5 mm). I form the sides. You can do this directly on a baking sheet lined with foil.
I spread spicy tomato paste on top.
I cut the cheese into pieces or rings. I spread it on top of the pasta.
I put it in a preheated room at 200 degrees. oven for fifteen minutes. As soon as the dough is browned, I cover the top with a layer of grated cheese and leave for another couple of minutes.

I serve it straight from the stove, cutting it into portions.

Margarita with yeast

Everyone knows how to cook using baker's yeast. Have you ever baked with brewer's yeast? It turns out a very interesting result. Especially with Mozzarella Fior di latte milk cheese.

To prepare a delicious dish you need the following products:

for dough: flour – 2 cups; water – 1 glass; yeast – 25 g; olive oil – 2 tablespoons; salt;
for filling: Mozzarella Fior di latte – 200 g; tomatoes – 230 g; basil; olive oil – 2 tbsp.

Cooking method step by step:

I knead the dough. I sift the flour onto the table, make a hole, add salt and yeast. Pour oil and warm water into the center. I mix everything thoroughly. I put it in a warm place for one hour, covering it with cling film or a towel.
I cut the cheese into rings.
Peel the tomatoes and cut them into slices.
I divide the dough into two equal parts. From each I make a pizza base. To do this, I roll it into a thin layer and make sides.
I distribute the tomatoes evenly, then place them on top of the cheese rings.
I spray the surface with oil and add a little salt.
I put it in a preheated room at 200-220 degrees. oven for a quarter of an hour.
I decorate the finished dish by sprinkling basil leaves on top.

Margarita: recipe for dough with fresh yeast

This pizza option will appeal to those who do not like dry powdered yeast, but fresh yeast in briquettes. Honey is used as an additional ingredient, which will give the dough a special aroma.

The following products are needed for cooking:

For the dough: flour – 2 tbsp; honey – 1 tbsp; vegetable oil – 1 tbsp; yeast – 15 g; water; salt;
mozzarella – 180 g; tomatoes – 4 pcs.; basil.

Cooking process:

I knead the dough. I sift the flour in a heap. I mix it with yeast and rub it with my hands.
I add the rest of the ingredients. I pour water in a small stream.
I send the kneaded dough to proof in a warm place.
I peel the tomatoes, cut them into small pieces and grind them in a blender.
I cut the cheese into circles.
I roll out the dough into a thin layer, make sides, and grease it with olive oil.
Distribute the tomato mixture evenly and place a layer of cheese on top.
I send it to preheated to 200 gr. oven for a quarter of an hour (until the cheese is completely melted).
I decorate the finished dish with green leaves and cut into portions.

If you have your own pizza recipes, share with us, photos are welcome.

As always, at the end of the collection of recipes, my recommendations on how to make Margherita pizza turn out perfect.

After kneading, it is better to store the dough in the refrigerator;
Basil can be replaced with any other herb;
For pizza, it is better to use premium flour and be sure to sift it; ideally, a mixture of different types of flour is used;
Traditionally, an oven is used for baking pizza; at home, a well-heated oven is suitable.

My video recipe

In any pizzeria you will certainly find Italian pizza Margherita on the menu. This famous version of the world's most popular dish is considered classic and traditional. This pizza can be safely called the basic version of pizza, because on its basis you can invent and prepare various types of this dish. But this does not mean at all that Margarita is inferior in herself. On the contrary, all its charm is in its simplicity: purity of taste and pleasant textures. And to enjoy this, you don’t have to go to a pizzeria, because making Margherita pizza at home is not at all difficult.

Margherita, like all other types of pizza, is based on yeast dough. It is prepared by kneading more gently than for making bread. This allows the dough to stretch well, and after baking it turns out tender, soft and airy despite the fact that it is baked at a high temperature.

A must for the classic Margherita pizza recipe is tomato sauce, which is prepared from tomato puree with onions, garlic, olive oil and herbs. The next ingredients are tomato pieces, fresh basil and tender mozzarella for the filling. It is best to take mozzarella cheese in the form of small balls sold in brine, but other types of this cheese are also suitable.

Margherita pizza is baked at a very high temperature. Of course, in a household oven you cannot reach the temperature of a real wood-burning oven, but it is worth heating it to the maximum - 250-280 degrees. Do this 40-50 minutes before baking, always with a baking sheet so you can place the pizza directly on it. Believe me, it will be an unforgettable dish!

Ingredients

260 grams of wheat flour
160 grams of water
2 tbsp. spoons of olive oil for the dough plus another 2 tbsp. spoons for sauce
0.5 tsp dry yeast
2 large tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
100-120 grams of mozzarella
1 small bunch of basil (purple or green, your choice)
salt, pepper, mixture of Italian herbs

Yield of finished product: 2 pizzas with a diameter of 28-30 cm

How to make Margherita pizza

It is convenient to knead pizza dough using a bread machine or mixer, but you can also knead it by hand. For a bread machine, use the "Dough" or "Pizza Dough" mode, and using a mixer or hand kneader, knead the dough until smooth.

Kneading the dough by hand or using a mixer

For these dough kneading methods, place all ingredients in a deep bowl. First, mix them with your hands so that all the flour absorbs the liquid. After this, you can place the dough on a work surface lightly dusted with flour, or use a mixer with hook attachments at first or second speed.

Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and tender. You will see how it becomes pliable and homogeneous.

Shape the kneaded dough into a ball and place in a bowl, covering with film. Leave to ferment for 1 hour.

Kneading dough in a bread machine

Pour water and olive oil into the mixing container. Then add flour, yeast and 0.5 teaspoons of salt to the container.

At first it may seem to you that there is not enough flour, but do not rush to add more.

As you knead, the dough will become smooth, but its structure will become stronger, and it will not feel too soft and sticky.

After the dough is kneaded, leave it in a warm place to ferment for 1 hour. During this time it should increase one and a half to two times.

Tomato sauce for pizza

While the dough is rising, you can make the sauce. To prepare it, chop the onion and garlic. Place the vegetables in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan with heated olive oil. Cook over low heat until the onion is soft and transparent.

Add a mixture of Italian herbs to the vegetables. They will make the sauce flavorful.

Cut one tomato into random pieces. Place it in a blender and grind until pureed.

Then pass the resulting pulp through a sieve to remove the skin and seeds.

Pour this pulp into a saucepan with the vegetables.

Place the sauce on the fire and cook over low heat until it thickens. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Making pizza

Divide the finished dough into two parts and roll each into a ball.

Gently flatten the dough into a layer. You should not use a rolling pin - you will carefully form the cake with your hands, leaving large bubbles inside the dough, and the edges of the cake will remain a little thicker and will be softer after baking.

Chop the basil and tomatoes.

Cut the mozzarella into slices. If you use brined mozzarella, you can separate it into two pieces directly with your hands because it is very soft.

Place the cake on a piece of parchment paper and a wooden board. Brush the dough with the cooled sauce and sprinkle with basil.

Place tomato and mozzarella slices on top. Sprinkle lightly with Italian herb mixture.

Place the pizza in the preheated oven, carefully transferring it from the wooden board to the hot baking sheet. Cook at 250-280 degrees for about 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Finish the finished Margherita pizza with fresh basil leaves.

This amount of ingredients makes 2 large or 3 medium-sized thin-crust pizzas. Experiment!

Sift the wheat flour, if desired.

In a deep bowl, mix 500 g of flour and 1 tsp. salt.

Let's make a small indentation in the center.

Stir 11 g of dry yeast in warm water (325 ml) and leave for 5 minutes.

Now pour the water with the yeast into the middle of the flour and, using a fork or tablespoon, begin to knead the dough.

As soon as it becomes difficult to continue working with a spoon/fork, put it aside, sprinkle your hands with flour and continue kneading the dough, but on the table.

Now roll the dough into a ball and stretch it with both hands. With your left hand we pull the dough towards you, and with your right hand - away from you.

Work with the heel of your hand. Thus, roll the dough into a roll, and then into a ball and repeat this several times. Ideally, you need to knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. It should become smooth and elastic. The process is not easy, but it is worth it!

Sprinkle some flour on a table or cutting board and place two balls of dough. Sprinkle them with a little flour on top too.

Cover with a damp towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour. The dough may double in size.

When the dough has risen, beat it lightly and leave it again for a while under the towel. Literally for 20-30 minutes, and in the meantime we will make a delicious tomato sauce.

Tomato sauce

For the sauce we will need: 5-6 cloves of garlic, 400 g of tomatoes in their own juice and a handful of basil leaves.
Fry the garlic cloves in a saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

Add the washed and dried basil leaves and fry everything a little again. If necessary, add more olive oil.

Now let’s pour in the plum tomatoes in their own juice or whatever you have. To ensure that nothing gets wasted in the jar, pour about 150 ml of water into it, shake it and pour the rest into a saucepan.

Simmer our sauce over medium heat and mash all the tomatoes with a spatula. I added 1 tsp. dry oregano. Continue to simmer and stir the sauce periodically for about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Let's prepare a deep bowl and a sieve. Pour the sauce from the saucepan into a sieve and begin to mash all the pulp with a spoon. Like me. It's like making puree.

P.S. Don’t rush to wash the saucepan, we will need it later.

We should have a flavorful, smooth tomato sauce without any chunks. I had very little waste left in the strainer, so I threw it away.

We return all the liquid that we strained back to the saucepan and continue to simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens. It took me about 10-15 minutes.

This is how our tomato sauce turned out.

Back to the dough, it should have increased in size again. So, sprinkle some flour on your work surface, place one ball of dough on it and use your fist to make a hole in the center. Let's take our flatbread and begin to move our fingers around it in a circle. With each circle our cake becomes bigger and bigger. Now put the dough on the table and use your fingertips to go over its entire surface. Everything is visible in the photo. Don’t try to make the circle even, this is homemade pizza after all, and carelessness is in fashion now! ;)

It’s okay if the dough tears a little, because you can always patch it up!

Preheat the oven to 250C

Grease a baking sheet with sunflower oil and sprinkle a pinch of semolina on top. It will prevent the dough from sticking to the baking sheet and in general, many Italians do this. Why are we worse?)))
Place the finished dough on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a few drops of olive oil.

Now spread 1/2 of the sauce over the entire dough, you can even use the edges. There is no need to pour too much sauce, just a thin layer.

Season with a little salt and add grated Parmesan. About 2-3 tbsp. l. And now the final, finishing touch - mozzarella. Take a ball of mozzarella, tear it into several pieces with your hands and place the cheese all over the pizza.

Add a few basil leaves on top. Don't forget to leave a little extra for decoration. Now go straight into the oven for 10 minutes. Repeat exactly the same procedure with the second ball of dough. I do not recommend leaving it overnight! The dough then becomes not quite elastic. And, believe me, you are unlikely to stop at just one pizza!) Make a second one with salami or bacon - it will be delicious!

Incredibly delicious Margherita pizza is ready! Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves, invite your family and try it! Bon appetit!

Pizza is liked by adults and children. It looks sunny and appetizing, copes well with hunger, and is appropriate for a family lunch or dinner party. The variety of components that can be included in its composition allows you to create unique combinations, so that everyone can find a pizza to suit their taste. But the most popular and famous in our country is the classic Italian pizza “Margherita”. It can be found on the menu of almost any pizzeria or Italian cafe. However, in order to try this unique dish, you don’t have to go to a restaurant - Margherita pizza is easy to prepare at home.

Cooking features

It's hard to find a pizza that's simpler and tastier than Margherita. The thing is that, despite its apparent simplicity, “Margarita” has its secrets. To make it as tasty at home as in a pizzeria, you need to know them.

You should not buy ready-made pizza crust in the store. No matter how good it is, it cannot replace homemade food. In addition, not just any base is suitable for Margarita, but only one made according to a special recipe. Outwardly, it is similar to the recipe for regular yeast dough, but still has its own nuances. So, it must contain two types of flour: coarse and finely ground. You need to knead the dough softer than for baking bread, so that it turns out soft and pliable. You also need to roll it out quite thinly, otherwise instead of pizza you will get a bun spread with tomato sauce and melted cheese.
The second secret of “Margarita” is in the tomato sauce, which is also prepared according to a special recipe and cannot be replaced with store-bought one. Otherwise, we can only talk about imitation of an exquisite “Margarita”. The sauce is made from fresh tomatoes with the obligatory addition of basil. Other herbs cannot replace it.
The classic Margarita is made without filling - immediately after covering the base with sauce, it’s the turn of the cheese. And here too there are some subtleties. Not just any type of cheese can be used for Margarita. A real Italian Margherita is made exclusively with mozzarella. Its harder varieties are cut into plates rather than rubbed. Balls of soft brine mozzarella are simply divided in half by hand and placed on top of the sauce.
Bake the Margarita in a very hot oven, placing it on a hot baking sheet. Therefore, it is better to preheat the oven in advance. Baking time is 15 minutes. However, if the base was baked in advance, the baking time can be reduced. But it is still better to use a raw base, so that the result is a flawless Italian pizza, soaked in a delicate sauce.

The ratio of components when preparing dough and sauce also matters. Therefore, you should not take everything by eye - it is better to use the classic recipe.

Classic Italian recipe for homemade Margherita pizza

Ingredients (for pizza with a diameter of 35 cm):

wholemeal wheat flour – 80 g;
finely ground wheat flour – 160 g;
dry yeast – 3 g;
olive oil – 100 ml (including 50 ml for sauce);
tomatoes – 0.5 kg;
basil (fresh, preferably green) – 50 g;
salt – 5 g;
mozzarella – 150 g;
water – 150 ml;
dry mixture of Italian herbs (optional) - to taste;
garlic (optional) – 1 clove.

Cooking method:

Mix coarse and fine flour, after sifting it twice.
Pour the yeast with a tablespoon of warm, but not hot water.
Salt the flour.
Spread the flour in the center with your hands, pour in 50 ml of olive oil and diluted yeast.
Start kneading the dough with your hands, adding water in small portions. The dough should be kneaded with both hands for 10–15 minutes until it becomes elastic.
Roll the dough into a ball and place in a warm place. Wait for it to rise. This will happen in about two hours.
Roll out the dough into a round cake with a diameter of at least 35 cm. It will be even better if you carefully stretch the layer with your hands, trying to use the rolling pin as little as possible. The edges of the flatbread should be slightly higher, forming barely noticeable edges that will prevent the sauce from spreading in the future.
Boil water in a kettle and pour it over the washed tomatoes, leave for a couple of minutes. Set a couple of fruits aside beforehand.
Remove the skin from the scalded tomatoes.
Cut the peeled tomatoes and remove the seeds with a small spoon until only the pulp remains. Grind the pulp in a blender until pureed or rub through a sieve.
If you want to add a spicy note to the sauce, press a clove of garlic through a press and mix with tomato puree.
Tear off a few basil leaves to decorate the Margarita, grind the rest of the basil in a blender or chop very finely with a knife.
Mix tomato puree with basil, olive oil and dry Italian herb mixture. Pour into a small saucepan.
Place the saucepan on the stove and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Add salt to taste, stir and remove from heat. Wait until it cools to room temperature.
Turn on the oven at maximum power so that it has time to warm up by the desired time.
Cover the pizza base with the cooled sauce.
Cut the mozzarella into thin layers and spread the cheese over the entire area of the pizza.
Cut the previously set aside tomatoes into thin slices. Place tomato wedges on top of cheese.
Garnish with green fresh basil leaves. If you have purple basil, you can use its leaves, or you can chop it coarsely and sprinkle it on the pizza.
Remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and place the margarita on it. Before this, you can lay parchment on a baking sheet.
Place the Margarita in the oven and bake it at 250–280 degrees for 12–15 minutes.
Take out the pizza. Before serving, cut it with a special pizza cutter, as otherwise you can ruin its appearance.

This recipe makes the pizza juicy, aromatic and very tasty. In addition, its size will allow you to feed several people.

Simple Margherita Pizza Recipe

Ingredients (for pizza with a diameter of 25 cm):

yeast pizza dough – 0.25 kg;
tomato sauce – 75 g;
olive oil – 10 ml;
green basil – 2 sprigs;
tomatoes – 0.15–0.2 kg;
hard cheese (ideally Parmesan) – 50 g;
mozzarella cheese – 100 g.

Cooking method:

Grease a baking dish with olive oil and spread the dough onto it.
Place the dough in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.
When the dough is lightly browned, remove it and cool to room temperature.
Brush the dough with tomato sauce, preferably homemade.
Wash the tomatoes and cut them into slices. It is better if the tomatoes are small. It is better to cut large tomatoes into semicircles, but this will turn out less beautiful.
Cut the mozzarella into slices or cubes.
Wash, dry the basil, and tear off the pizza leaves.
Finely grate the Parmesan.
Place tomatoes and mozzarella on top of the sauce.
Place basil leaves on top.
Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Place the pizza pan in the oven. Bake at maximum temperature for 10 minutes.
Let the pizza cool slightly and carefully remove it from the pan.
Cut with a special knife and serve.

This already simple recipe can be simplified even more if you use a ready-made pizza base instead of dough. If you are afraid that it will be difficult to remove the pizza from the pan, you can bake it directly on a baking sheet lined with parchment. But in this case, you definitely need to press the dough in the center, leaving a kind of fence around the edges.