Outstanding Margherita Pizza

Many people consider Margherita pizza to be the actual Italian flag. Margherita, named after the queen of Naples, was invented by chef Raffaele Esposito of Pizzeria Brandi and his wife in the hues of the Italian flag: red (tomato), white (mozzarella), and green (basil). Since then, nobody has been let down by the traditional Margherita pizza with mozzarella cheese and basil leaves.

Ingredients

• For the Pizza dough:

• 500 gms flour

• Salt

• 300 ml tepid Water

• 7 gms dried yeast

• 1/2 tsp sugar

• 30 ml olive oil

• Extra virgin olive oil

• For the topping:

• Passata sauce

• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated

• Handful of basil leaves

• Pepper

• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Prepare the pizza dough:

1. Sieve flour with salt and add yeast to tepid water and stir in sugar. Leave aside for 6 to 8 minutes.

2. In a mixing bowl, create a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add 100 ml of yeast mixture and 15 ml olive oil.

3. Add in the rest of yeast mixture and remaining olive oil.

4. Flour the kneading surface so that the dough does not stick.

5. Mix together with your fingers till you have a dough. Knead for 10 minutes till you have an elastic, even product.

Proving the dough:

1. Place the dough in a bowl and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.

2. Cover bowl with cling film and place in a warm area to prove for 50 minutes.

3. After the dough is proved, bash the air out and cut into small pieces for individual pizzas.

4. Dust the work surface and rolling pin with some flour before rolling out the dough.

Prepare the topping:

1. Preheat oven at its highest mark and flour your baking tray.

2. Now, using a rolling pin, roll out the freshly made pizza dough and place on the tray.

3. Spread a thin layer of passata sauce and cover with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle basil leaves.

4. Put the tray into the oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

5. After the pizza is baked remove it from the oven and drizzle extra virgin olive oil and some pepper.

6. Garnish with fresh basil and cut into slices.

Recipe Notes

Pizza is the most popular Italian food, and making it at home is a fantastic idea to maintain a balanced diet. There are many different types of pizza that you can quickly and easily prepare at home.

You can sprinkle some chili flakes on the sauce if you like your dish spicy.

Avoid piling on too much cheese or sauce since it will spread everywhere.

Use a fork to push the dough as you prepare it to prevent it from puffing up like roti.