Pizza Margherita
The classic Neapolitan pizza — tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil. Three ingredients on a thin crispy crust. When made well, it's one of the world's perfect foods. When made poorly, it's just bread with sauce.
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
32 min
Servings
2
Calories
453 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Dough½ batch
- Cheese½ cup
- Tomato1 medium
- Pizza Dough½ ball
- Tomato Sauce½ cup
- Mozzarella½ cup
- Oregano½
- Olive Oil1 tbsp
All quantities scaled automatically from 2 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 2 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Dough0.5 batch
- Cheese0.5 cup
- Tomato1 medium
- Pizza Dough0.5 ball
- Tomato Sauce0.5 cup
- Mozzarella0.5 cup
- Oregano0.5
- Olive Oil1 tbsp
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven as hot as it goes — typically 500°F (260°C). Put a pizza stone or pizza steel on the middle rack 45-60 minutes before baking. The thermal mass is what gives you a crispy crust.
- 2
Stretch 1 ball of pizza dough (homemade or store-bought) on a floured surface or parchment paper to a 12-inch circle. Don't roll — stretching preserves the air bubbles.
- 3
Spread ½ cup of pizza sauce (or crushed San Marzano tomatoes seasoned with salt and a splash of olive oil) thinly across the dough, leaving a 1-inch border for the crust.
- 4
Tear 8 oz of fresh mozzarella (drained well) into pieces and distribute across the pizza. Pat slices dry with paper towels first — wet mozzarella floods the pizza.
- 5
Slide the pizza (with parchment) onto the hot stone. Bake 7-10 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown with charred spots and the cheese is bubbly.
- 6
Slide onto a cutting board. Top with fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of good olive oil, a sprinkle of flaky salt. Slice into 8 wedges. Eat immediately — pizza is at its peak within 5 minutes.
Watch how to make Pizza Margherita
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Hottest oven you've got. Real Neapolitan ovens hit 900°F. Home ovens at 500°F + a preheated stone is your best approximation.
- 2.Stretch, don't roll. Rolling presses out air bubbles. Hand-stretching preserves the airy crust structure.
- 3.Pat mozzarella dry. Fresh mozzarella has tons of water. Patting dry prevents the pizza from being swampy.
- 4.Basil AFTER baking. Basil cooked in the oven turns black and bitter. Always add basil after baking.
🔬 Why It Works
Margherita pizza is the Italian principle of 'great ingredients, simple preparation' at its peak. There's nothing to hide behind — the dough, sauce, and cheese must all be excellent. A hot stone gives you crispy bottom and chewy interior. Properly drained fresh mozzarella melts beautifully without flooding the pizza. Fresh basil added after baking provides aromatic complexity. Olive oil and flaky salt at the end are the finishing touches.
Frequently Asked Questions
No pizza stone — what do I do?▾
Best mozzarella?▾
What's San Marzano?▾
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Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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