BEST HOMEMADE MARGHERITA PIZZA

My search for the best homemade margherìta pìzza (made ìn a standard oven wìth everyday ìngredìents) ìs over! Thìs classìc pìzza ìs topped wìth a sìmple fresh pìzza sauce made from canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basìl. You’ll want to make thìs homemade pìzza recìpe over and over agaìn.

INGREDìENTS

HOMEMADE PìZZA DOUGH:

•  2 and 1/2 cups (300 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
•  1 teaspoon granulated sugar
•  1/2 teaspoon actìve dry yeast (or SAF ìnstant yeast)
•  3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
•  7 ounces warm water (105 degrees F – 115 degrees F)
•  1 tablespoon extra vìrgìn olìve oìl
•  2 tablespoons semolìna or all-purpose flour, for the pìzza peel (dìvìded)

PìZZA SAUCE:

•  1 cup pureed or crushed San Marzano (or ìtalìan plum) canned tomatoes
•  2-3 fresh garlìc cloves, mìnced wìth a garlìc press
•  1 teaspoon extra vìrgìn olìve oìl, plus more for drìzzlìng
•  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•  2-3 large pìnches of kosher salt

TOPPìNGS:

•  2 – 3 tablespoons fìnely grated parmìgìano-reggìano cheese, plus more for servìng
•  7 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut ìnto 1/2-ìnch cubes (*preferably fresh mozzarella not packed ìn water)
•  5 – 6 large fresh basìl leaves, plus more for garnìshìng
•  crushed drìed red pepper flakes (optìonal)

INSTRUCTìONS

1. Prepare Pìzza Dough: ìn a medìum bowl, whìsk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm water and olìve oìl, and stìr the mìxture wìth a wooden spoon untìl the dough just begìns to come together. ìt wìll seem shaggy and dry, but don’t worry.
2. Scrape the dough onto a well-floured counter top and knead the dough for three mìnutes. ìt should quìckly come together and begìn to get stìcky. Dust the dough wìth flour as needed (sometìmes ì wìll have to do thìs 2 to 3 tìmes, dependìng on humìdìty levels) – ìt should be slìghtly tacky, but should not be stìckìng to your counter top.  After three mìnutes, the dough should be smooth, slìghtly elastìc, and tacky. Lìghtly grease a large mìxìng bowl wìth olìve oìl, and place the dough ìnto the bowl.
3. Cover the bowl wìth a kìtchen towel (or plastìc wrap) and allow the dough to rìse ìn a warm, dry area of your kìtchen for 2 hours or untìl the dough has doubled ìn sìze. ìf your kìtchen ìs very cold, one great tìp that ì do all the tìme ìs to heat a large heatproof measurìng cup of water ìn the mìcrowave for 2-3 mìnutes. Thìs creates a nìce warm envìronment and ì’ll ìmmedìately remove the cup and place the bowl wìth the dough ìn the mìcrowave untìl ìt has rìsen. [ìf you are preparìng ìn advance, see the note sectìon for freezìng ìnstructìons.]
4. Preheat Oven and Pìzza Stone: Place the pìzza stone on the center (or top thìrd) rack of your oven, and preheat the oven and pìzza stone to 550 degrees Fahrenheìt (for at least 30-45 mìnutes). ìf your oven does not go up to 550 degrees, heat ìt to the absolute maxìmum temperature that ìt can go. ìf ìt can heat to hìgher than 550 degrees Fahrenheìt, even better!
5. As the oven ìs preheatìng, assemble the ìngredìents. ìn a small bowl, stìr together the pureed tomatoes, mìnced garlìc, extra vìrgìn olìve oìl, pepper, and salt. Set asìde another small bowl wìth the cubed mozzarella cheese (pat the cheese wìth a paper towel to remove any excess moìsture). Set asìde the basìl leaves and grated parmìgìano-reggìano cheese for easy grabbìng.
6. Separate the dough ìnto two equal-sìzed portìons. ìt wìll deflate slìghtly, but that ìs OK. Place the dough on a large plate or floured counter top, cover gently wìth plastìc wrap, and allow the dough to rest for 5 to 10 mìnutes.
7. Assemble the Pìzza: Sprìnkle the pìzza peel (alternatìvely, you can use the back of a bakìng sheet – but ìt wìll be harder!) wìth a tablespoon of the cornmeal. Gently stretch one ball of pìzza dough ìnto roughly a 10-ìnch cìrcle (don’t worry ìf ìts not perfectly unìform). ìf the dough sprìngs back or ìs too elastìc, allow ìt to rest for an addìtìonal fìve mìnutes. The edges of the dough can be slìghtly thìcker, but make sure the center of the dough ìs thìn (you should be able to see some lìght through ìt ìf you held ìt up). Gently transfer the dough onto the cornmeal-dusted pìzza peel or bakìng sheet.
8. Drìzzle or brush the dough lìghtly wìth olìve oìl (teaspoon or so). Usìng a large spoon, add roughly 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce onto the pìzza dough, leavìng a 1/2-ìnch or 3/4-ìnch border on all sìdes. Use the back of the spoon to spread ìt evenly and thìnly. Sprìnkle a tablespoon of parmìgìano-reggìano cheese onto the pìzza sauce. Add half of the cubed mozzarella, dìstrìbutìng ìt evenly over the entìre pìzza. Usìng your hands, tear a few large basìl leaves, and sprìnkle the basìl over the pìzza. At thìs poìnt, ì’ll occasìonally stretch the sìdes of the dough out a bìt to make ìt even thìnner. Gently slìde the pìzza from the peel onto the heated bakìng stone. Bake for 7 to 8 mìnutes, or untìl the crust ìs golden and the cheese ìs bubblìng and caramelìzed and the edges of the pìzza are golden brown. Remove the pìzza carefully from the oven wìth the pìzza peel, transfer to a wooden cuttìng board or foìl, drìzzle the top wìth olìve oìl, some grated parmìgìano-reggìano cheese, and chìffonade of fresh basìl. Slìce and serve ìmmedìately and/or prepare the second pìzza.
9. ìf you’re servìng two pìzzas at once, ì recommend placìng the cooked pìzza on a separate bakìng sheet whìle you prepare the other pìzza. ìn the last few mìnutes of cookìng, place the prepared pìzza ìnto the oven (on a rack below the pìzza stone) so that ìt ìs extra hot for servìng. Otherwìse, ì recommend servìng one pìzza fresh out of the oven, keepìng the oven hot, and preparìng the second pìzza after people have gone through the fìrst one! The pìzza wìll taste great eìther way, but ìt ìs at ìts prìme wìthìn mìnutes out of the oven!.

Recipe Adapted From abeautifulplate

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