Can I make this pizza without a pizza stone?

Yes, you can. You can use a pizza pan as a pizza stone and pre-heat it in the oven before transferring the pizza onto the pan when it is assembled. You can also simple assemble the pizza on the pizza pan and transfer to a preheated oven to bake.

Can I freeze this pizza before baking?

Yes! You can assemble this pizza margherita and freeze it. It can be baked from frozen, with a few minutes adding to the baking time. Then garnish with basil leaves and serve as normal.

Can I make this pizza ahead of time?

I do not recommend making this pizza ahead of time as it is best eaten fresh.

Can I use shredded mozzarella instead of fresh mozzarella?

A margherita pizza is made with fresh mozzarella so I strongly recommend using it. However, you can use shredded mozzarella if you do not have access to fresh mozzarella.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, you can easily double this recipe and make 2 medium sized pizzas. Alternately, you can make a large sheet pan pizza in a 9x13" pan with double the recipe.

Easy Homemade Pizza Margherita

Name: EASY HOMEMADE PIZZA MARGHERITA RECIPE
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/4 cup warm water (60g) + more as needed; ideally around 110F (I usually add ~1 tbsp more); 1 tsp active dry or instant yeast; 1 cup all purpose flour; 1 tsp sugar; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 cup pizza sauce - ideally, make your own sauce by blending canned San Marzano tomatoes; Fresh mozzarella to taste (I use about 4oz); 1 tbsp olive oil; 3-4 fresh basil leaves

Description

This easy and quick homemade Pizza Margherita takes only 15 minutes of work with simple ingredients, and tastes as good as any restaurant!

Ingredients

Dough:

1/4 cup warm water (60g) + more as needed; ideally around 110F (I usually add ~1 tbsp more)
1 tsp active dry or instant yeast
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp olive oil

Toppings:

1/2 cup pizza sauce - ideally, make your own sauce by blending canned San Marzano tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella to taste (I use about 4oz)
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 fresh basil leaves

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Instructions

Dough:

Mix the water, yeast, flour, sugar, salt and olive oil in a bowl. Use a large spoon to bring the ingredients together into a sticky dough. Add 1-2 tbsp more water as needed
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured clean surface and knead it with a push/pull motion for 5-7 minutes until it is no longer sticky
Transfer to a clean bowl with oil sprayed inside. Cover with cling wrap and place in a warm, humid spot for ~30-45 minutes until the dough doubles in size
Towards the end of proofing the dough, turn on the oven at 450F (without fan) with a pizza stone in the middle rack

Assembly:

Once the dough is proofed, roll it into a 9-10" thin circular sheet on a lightly floured surface
Transfer the crust onto a sheet of parchment paper* and adjust the shape. Prick with a fork a few times
Spread on the pizza sauce, and cover with chunks of mozzarella cheese (tear it with your hands)
Drizzle over the olive oil

Baking:

Carefully lift the parchment paper* sheet with the pizza on top of it and transfer it on top of the pizza stone inside the preheated oven
Close the oven door and bake for ~8-12 minutes depending on how crispy you want the crust to be (for reference, I bake for 10 minutes at 450F)
Carefully remove the pizza from the oven and garnish with fresh basil leaves
Slice and serve while still hot

Notes

*Please ensure the parchment paper you are using can be used at temperatures up to 450F for your safety. Otherwise, simply use a pizza pan
You can make this pizza without a pizza stone too, see the blog post above
This recipe makes a single medium sized pizza. You can double the recipe easily for 2 pizzas
The exact baking time will depend on the temperature of your oven, as well as how well done you want the pizza to be

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian