There’s a reason the Margherita pizza remains a timeless classic. This isn’t your overloaded, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of pizza. It’s a symphony of fresh, high-quality ingredients, each playing a vital role in your creation. Ready to become a Margherita maestro? Let’s bake!
Gather your ingredients:
- 5g fresh yeast
- 500g all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon salt
- Tomato sauce (crushed or your favourite brand – choose wisely, it’s the base!)
- 250g fresh mozzarella cheese
- Handful of fresh basil leaves (the fragrant finishing touch)
- Pinch of salt and pepper (optional)
Let’s get baking!
- Activate the yeast: In a large bowl, combine 300ml of cold water and the yeast. Stir it gently until the yeast dissolves.
- Dough time: Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Using a dough hook attachment on your mixer, knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. Shape it into a ball, place it in the bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Portion and roll: After the dough has risen, dust your work surface with flour and divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thin circle, forming your pizza bases.
- Time to dress! Spread a generous amount of tomato sauce on each pizza base. Top with slices of fresh mozzarella and sprinkle with fresh basil leaves. You can add a pinch of salt and pepper for an extra kick, but it’s delicious as is!
- Bake and enjoy! Preheat your oven to 250°C (convection setting). Carefully transfer the pizzas onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake them in the lower third of the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Alright, that’s it! Your homemade Margherita pizzas are fresh out of the oven, looking like little edible masterpieces. Now the fun part: time to dig in! Slice ’em up, grab your favourite people (or your favourite sweatpants, no judgement!), and enjoy. Trust us, this isn’t your average delivery pizza. This is Margherita magic, made with your own two hands.
Bonus tip: Leftovers are for the weak! But seriously, these pizzas are best enjoyed fresh and hot. Although, if you do have some stragglers, they can be revived in a hot pan for a crispy, cheesy delight the next day.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab a slice (or two, or three!), and let us know how your Margherita masterpiece turned out!
Buon appetito!