Authentic Classic Margherita Pizza
The quintessential Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza featuring a blistered golden crust, vibrant homemade tomato sauce, melted mozzarella, fresh cherry tomatoes, and aromatic basil.
The Margherita pizza is a masterpiece of Italian culinary simplicity, where every ingredient shines through honest preparation and high-heat baking. Built upon a foundation of expertly handled dough, it balances sweet tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fragrant herbs with a final flourish of extra virgin olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough ball
- 100 g homemade tomato sauce
- 100 g shredded mozzarella cheese
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 4 fresh basil leaves
- 20 g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1Swirl tomato sauce smoothly
Using the back of a metal ladle, swirl bright red homemade tomato sauce across the flattened pizza dough in a smooth circular motion from the center outward, leaving a clean outer rim for the crust.
Tip: Work in gentle spiral motions to distribute the sauce evenly without tearing the delicate dough. - 2Scatter shredded mozzarella
Evenly distribute the shredded mozzarella cheese across the tomato sauce base, ensuring full edge-to-edge coverage for a balanced melt during baking.
Tip: Distribute the cheese evenly so the pizza bakes with a balanced, consistent melt. - 3Arrange cherry tomatoes
Place fresh halved cherry tomatoes cut-side up in an even pattern over the cheese layer, pressing them down lightly so they stay secure throughout the high-heat bake.
Tip: Press the halved tomatoes lightly into the cheese so they stay secure during baking. - 4Transfer safely to metal peel
Smoothly slide the fully assembled pizza onto a flat metal peel, checking that the base moves freely across the dusted surface before loading it into the hot oven.
Tip: Dust the peel lightly with flour or semolina beforehand to prevent the dough from sticking. - 5Bake in hot oven
Carefully load the pizza using the metal peel into a preheated red domed pizza oven, baking until the crust is puffed and charred and the cheese bubbles.
Tip: Keep a close watch on the crust since high-heat dome ovens bake pizzas in just a few minutes. - 6Grate Parmigiano-Reggiano like snow
Hold a hand grater over the freshly baked pizza inside its box and grate Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese evenly over the top like snow for a nutty finish.
Tip: Grating directly over the pizza ensures an even distribution of nutty flavor. - 7Finish with extra virgin olive oil
Drizzle a fine stream of extra virgin olive oil in a spiral motion across the entire surface of the pizza to enhance its rich and savory profile.
Tip: Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor profile.
