Margherita Pizza Recipes

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the sugar, oil, yeast and 2 cups cold water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let the mixture sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. With the motor running, slowly add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture. Keep mixing until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly greased baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Divide the dough into four 12-ounce pieces and shape into balls. Transfer the balls to a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish and brush with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
• For the sauce: Remove each tomato from the can and reserve 3 cups of the puree. Cut the tomatoes in half and, using your fingers, remove and discard the seeds (don't rinse). Place the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until just crushed but not pureed. (Alternatively, crush the tomatoes by hand or pass them through a food mill.) Transfer the tomato sauce to a bowl and stir in the reserved 3 cups of puree and some salt.
• For the pizza: Place a pizza stone under the oven broiler. Preheat the broiler for 30 minutes.
• Working in four batches, dust a ball of dough heavily with semolina. Using your fingertips, press the dough from the center out, into a 10-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick, leaving a 1-inch thick crust around the edges.
• Hold the dough straight up, and with your fingertips circling the crust, let the dough naturally fall. Slide your fingers around crust in a circular motion (like you would turn a steering wheel) until the dough in the center is stretched to about 1/8-inch thick. Repeat for the remaining dough balls. Transfer the dough to a semolina-dusted pizza peel.
• Spread each pizza with about 1/2 cup sauce evenly over center of the dough, distribute a quarter each of the cheese and basil leaves, and drizzle with oil. Slide a pizza onto the stone and broil until the cheese melts and the crust is puffed and charred in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat for the remaining pizzas. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Steps:

• Stir flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Set aside.
• Mix water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Stir half the flour mixture into yeast mixture until no dry spots remain. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When dough pulls together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, then place dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch dough down, divide into 4 equal pieces, and form each into a ball.
• Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Stretch out and pat 1 dough ball to form a circle 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Place dough on a lightly floured pizza peel. Top with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and spread to cover within an inch of the edge of the dough. Arrange 5 slices of mozzarella cheese on top of the tomato sauce, then place 5 basil leaves on top. Drizzle pizza with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Repeat for 3 remaining dough balls.
• Slide each pizza onto the pizza stone in the preheated oven. Bake until cheese is bubbly and the underside of the crust is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Steps:

• Make the base: Put the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well, pour in 200ml warm water and the olive oil and bring together with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, fairly wet dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. You can leave the dough to rise if you like, but it's not essential for a thin crust.
• Make the sauce: Mix the passata, basil and crushed garlic together, then season to taste. Leave to stand at room temperature while you get on with shaping the base.
• Roll out the dough: if you've let the dough rise, give it a quick knead, then split into two balls. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into large rounds, about 25cm across, using a rolling pin. The dough needs to be very thin as it will rise in the oven. Lift the rounds onto two floured baking sheets.
• Top and bake: heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 8. Put another baking sheet or an upturned baking tray in the oven on the top shelf. Smooth sauce over bases with the back of a spoon. Scatter with cheese and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and season. Put one pizza, still on its baking sheet, on top of the preheated sheet or tray. Bake for 8-10 mins until crisp. Serve with a little more olive oil, and basil leaves if using. Repeat step for remaining pizza.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, salt and 1 cup flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 13-in. circle. Transfer to two greased 14-in. pizza pans; build up edges slightly. Cover with a clean kitchen towel; let rest for 10 minutes., Spoon tomatoes over dough. Top with basil, oregano, cheese, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil. Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425ºF.
• Reserve 1/2 cup mozzarella; sprinkle remaining onto pizza crust. Top with all remaining ingredients; sprinkle with reserved mozzarella.
• Place crust directly on middle oven rack.
• Bake 10 to 12 min. or until cheese is melted.

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine flour, 1½ tablespoons salt, and sugar.
• In a medium bowl, combine water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir well and let rest for 2 minutes.
• Add yeast mixture to flour mixture and combine using your hands or a stand mixer with a dough hook, at least two minutes. Let dough rest for 20 minutes, uncovered, at room temperature.
• On a floured work surface, separate dough into 4 even portions. Work each into a circular ball, then place the balls onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Cover with a damp towel and rest, refrigerated, for at least 4 hours.
• In a blender or food processor, combine tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of salt, and garlic. Process until smooth.
• Preheat oven to 550°F/290°C. Place a pizza stone or large cast-iron griddle on the center rack. Heat for at least 45 minutes.
• On a floured work surface, use your fingertips to create a ring around the outside (your crust) of one of the risen balls of dough. Using the pads of your fingers, gently flatten out the dough inside the ring.
• Gently lift up the dough and let it hang off your knuckles, stretching itself out with its own weight. Slowly rotate the circle of dough, continuing to let it stretch off your knuckles. Go all the way around the circle once, taking care not to let it hang too long in one place and stretch too thin.
• Using a large spoon, spread a thin layer of sauce across the dough, leaving room for the crust.
• Evenly place three slices of mozzarella on top of the sauce, then sprinkle a handful of torn basil leaves evenly over your pizza. Or top with whatever you desire: sausage, peppers, onions... just about anything can be a pizza topping!
• Carefully slide the pizza onto a floured sheet or pizza peel and place on top of your stone or griddle in the oven. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the top of the crust is just beginning to blacken.
• Remove from oven and let cool for 3-4 minutes before slicing.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• On lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough into 12 inch circle. Transfer it to a pizza stone or pan.
• Spread tomatoes over dough, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Arrange the cheese and olives on top.
• Bake in 475 degree F oven, until golden and bubbly, about 15-18 minutes. Sprinkle with basil leaves and drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the pizza shell. Use a brush to spread it around and make sure to get the crust!
• Next, disperse the finely chopped garlic evenly.
• Spread the mozzarella cheese throughout the top, but keep it thin.
• Place the thinly sliced tomatoes across the entire pizza.
• Lightly salt and pepper the tomatoes with the kosher salt.
• Spread the fresh basil leaves, making sure to get some on tomatoes and on just the cheese itself.
• Cook the pizza in the oven for about 9-10 minutes, or until sufficiently crispy and melted to your liking.
• Add a little Parmesan cheese and (optional) crushed red pepper and enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees, with rack in lower third lined with a pizza stone or baking sheet. Turn dough out onto a pizza peel or thin wooden cutting board dusted with semolina (do not punch down). Starting in center and using both hands, press down and outward with your fingertips, rotating dough occasionally. Gradually work toward edges, leaving a 1-inch border of undisturbed dough, until it's stretched to an approximately 13-inch round.
• Lightly drizzle dough with oil; season with salt and pepper. Gently spread sauce evenly to just inside border, top evenly with mozzarella, and sprinkle with Parmigiano. With one quick forward-and-back jerking motion, slide pizza from peel onto stone. (This is not the moment to hesitate! Be brave and bold, and the pizza will slide off the peel.)
• Bake until crust is puffed, golden brown in places, and set on bottom, and cheese is bubbly, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer pizza to a wire rack; let cool 2 to 3 minutes. Top with basil and pepper flakes, slice, and serve immediately.