Margherita Pizza | How to Make Classic Margherita Pizza

Ingredients

• Pear Sauce Cup

  Trader Joe's

  100g

• Basil

  Fresh

  1 cup leaves, whole or 24g

• Mozzarella cheese

  Part skim milk

  300g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, raw, year round average

  3 medium whole or 369g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  2 tbsp or 27g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Plain Pizza Dough

  Trader Joe's

  1 serving or 57g

Directions

1. Take a large bowl and add the sugar to it. Pour warm water on top and sprinkle the active dry yeast. Make sure the water is not boiling but just warm as boiling water will kill the yeast.
2. Let the yeast sit for 5 minutes and become frothy. Then add salt and olive oil. Give it a stir.
3. Next add the flour and using the spatula start mixing everything together. Once the flour comes together, knead it using hands for good 10 minutes. The dough should turn smooth at the end of kneading.
4. Drizzle some olive oil on the bowl and place the dough in it making sure that oil coats the dough on all sides.
5. Cover the bowl with a cling film and let the dough rest in a warm place for 90 minutes. I keep my dough inside the microwave (it is not on of course) as it is quite warmer than room temperature.
6. After about 90 minutes, the dough must be doubled in size. Oil a pizza pan generously and place the dough on it. Dredge the dough with flour on all sides.
7. Preheat your oven at 450 F / 230 C and place the wire rack at lower most level.
8. Using your both hands or a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch circle. (Watch the video for demo.)
9. Your pizza dough is done! Load it up with your favorite toppings, mozzarella cheese and bake it in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes. If you like more crispy pizza, add additional 2 minutes.
10. Cut the tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick roundels. Discard the ends or reserve for other dishes and use the similar sized tomato slices for your Margherita pizza so that you get uniform baking.
11. Take out the fresh mozzarella cheese from the liquid it comes in and cut it into similarly thick slices as the tomatoes.
12. Once your pizza dough is rolled out on a pizza pan, spread the homemade marinara sauce over the pizza base leaving about half an inch from the edges which will form the crispy crust. You can add as little or as much marinara sauce you like but not more than 1 & 1/2 cups as otherwise your pizza will turn too soggy.
13. Then arrange the tomato slices and mozzarella slices alternatively in a circle, covering the middle of the pizza too. Reserve the basil leaves for later.
14. Bake your Margherita pizza in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown and the cheese slices are completely melted.
15. Take it out from the oven and sprinkle fresh basil leaves on top being as generous as you like. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle oregano or pizza seasoning and salt to taste. Slice up your Margherita pizza and enjoy!
16. Original recipe by: Priyanka (source: www.flavorquotient.com/2019/03/margherita-pizza-how-to-make-classic-margherita-pizza/?utm_campaign=yummly&utm_medium=yummly&utm_source=yummly)