Pizza Margherita is the queen of all pizzas — three simple ingredients that together create something extraordinary. Named after Queen Margherita of Savoy in 1889, this classic represents the Italian flag: red tomato, white mozzarella, green basil. The secret is quality ingredients and a well-fermented Neapolitan dough.
Mix flour, water, yeast and salt until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should pass the windowpane test — stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through it without tearing.
Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or cold ferment in the fridge for 24–72h for more flavour. Cold fermentation gives you that signature Neapolitan tang and digestibility.
Drain the San Marzano tomatoes and crush them by hand into a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Do not cook — raw San Marzano tomatoes are the authentic way.
Take a dough ball, flatten by hand from the centre outward using your fingertips. Never use a rolling pin — you want to preserve the air bubbles. Stretch to 28–30cm by rotating and pulling gently.
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce, leaving a 1–2cm border for the cornicione (crust). Tear the mozzarella and distribute evenly. Less is more — a soggy pizza is overloaded.
Bake on a preheated stone or steel at maximum oven temperature (250°C+) for 8–10 minutes, or 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven at 450°C. The crust should be golden with charred spots.
Immediately add fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Slice and serve at once — Margherita waits for nobody.
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