Pizza Margherita

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The classic. Remember, the key is balance - don't overdo any one ingredient when you are putting it all together.

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  • 4

Ingredients

  • Dough:
  • 1/4 cup light white wine, Fiano di Avellino
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • Topping:
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 cups basic tomato sauce
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella di Bufala, sliced into thin medallions
  • 12 fresh basil leaves

Preparation

Step 1

Place wine, water, and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the honey, salt and olive oil and mix well to combine. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a loose batter. Add 2 more cups of the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, incorporating as much flour as you can with the wooden spoon.

Bring the dough together by hand and turn out onto a floured board or marble surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and firm. Place in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise in the warmest part of the kitchen for 45 minutes.

Knead the dough into 1 large round, then cut into 4 pieces. Shape into 4 balls and let rest for 15 minutes, covered.

Preheat the oven & pizza stone to at least 500F, more if you can

Using a rolling pin (or your hands for a lighter texture), roll into 10-inch circles; the edges should be slightly higher than the center.

Place 1 circle on a generously floured baking peel and rub with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. From this point forward, you will need to work quickly so the dough won't have time to stick to the baking peel.

Add oregano to tomato sauce and ladle the tomato sauce in an even layer over the dough. Distribute the cheese evenly over the surface of the pizza, press the basil leaves into the sauce and stretch the dough into an 11-inch circle with your hands, being careful not to tear the dough as you do so.

Transfer the pizza directly to the baking stone and bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and the mozzarella is bubbling.

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