Pizza Margherita

Pizza Margherita is the benchmark of Neapolitan pizza. Thin dough, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, Parmesan, and olive oil. Nothing to hide behind, which means every ingredient needs to pull its weight.

Preheating the pizza stone for a full 30 minutes at your oven’s highest setting is not optional. That scorching hot surface is what gives you a crisp, charred bottom in just 6-8 minutes. Without it, you get a pale, doughy crust that takes twice as long and never crisps properly.

Stretch the dough to ¼ inch thick, which is thinner than most home bakers go. Margherita is not a thick-crust pizza. The thin base blisters and chars at the edges while staying pliable enough to fold.

Brush olive oil on the dough before adding sauce. This creates a moisture barrier that keeps the crust from getting soggy under the tomato sauce.

Chef Tips

• Dust the pizza peel generously with semolina or cornmeal so the pizza slides off cleanly onto the stone
• Use fresh mozzarella sliced thin, not shredded low-moisture mozzarella; the texture and flavor are completely different
• Add a few basil leaves after baking for the freshest aroma and color

Variations

• Use buffalo mozzarella for a creamier, more traditional Neapolitan experience
• Add a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar after baking for a sweet-tart accent
• Scatter cherry tomato halves alongside the sauce for bursts of fresh tomato flavor