This easy Margherita pizza recipe is perfect for beginners and it’s one the whole family will love.
According to a recent survey by pizza restaurant San Carlo, the classic Margherita pizza is the nation’s favourite. Pushing aside pepperoni and beating any pizza with toppings, it seems that here in the UK, we love nothing more than keeping it deliciously simple.
So, what could be better than recreating everyone’s favourite pizza and trying your hand at making a Margherita at home?
This pizza is so simple to make and combines ingredients with rich, Italian flavours including mozzarella and ripe tomatoes.
This recipe also shows you how to make pizza dough from scratch. A fun activity to try with the kids one afternoon perhaps!
All children will love getting their hands messy and helping to craft a pizza from scratch. Even Prince George and Princess Charlotte love making Margherita pizza at home in Kensington Palace according to mum Kate Middleton!
Any at-home cooking activity good enough for royalty suits us! Why not let the kids get a bit more creative and allow them to choose their own toppings too? You can decorate the top of this pizza with other ingredients including fresh tomatoes, herbs, meat like sausage or chicken or add veggies like peppers or sweetcorn.
This recipe serves around four people and, once you’ve prepped it, will only take around 10 minutes to cook.
Try serving your pizza with fresh tomato sliced on top and a few fresh basil leaves. Buon Appetito!
Ingredients
- 600g (1lb 5oz) strong white bread flour or use Italian 00 flour
- 2tsp quick yeast (some dried yeasts will vary, so adjust the amount depending on the pack instructions)
- 2tbsp olive oil
- For the topping:
- 1 x 400g can Italian whole plum tomatoes
- 2tbsp olive oil
- Pinch sugar
- 2 balls buffalo mozzarella
- 3tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 2tbsp dried oregano
Method
First make the pizza dough. You can do it by hand or in a food processor. By hand, put the flour on a work surface, make a well in the middle and add the yeast, 4tsp salt, the olive oil and around 300ml (½pt) tepid water. Draw the flour in from the sides and work it with your hand until mixed, then knead until soft and springy, around 5 to 10 mins. If the dough is a little dry when mixed, add a bit more water; if too wet, add a bit more flour. In a food processor, mix everything together until well combined, then knead it by hand for 5 mins. Put into a large bowl covered with oiled clingfilm or a damp cloth in a warm place and leave until doubled in size.
To make the sauce, drain the tomatoes well, then chop roughly. Put in a saucepan with the olive oil and sugar, then cook over a medium heat until thickened and very little liquid remains. Leave in a sieve over a bowl to drain off any excess liquid.
To bake great pizza, invest in a pizza stone. Preheat the stone in the oven, then use a floured baking sheet to slide the pizza onto the stone. Otherwise preheat a baking sheet, but you won’t get that delicious crunchy crust underneath. Whatever you use, preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F, gas mark 8). Divide the dough into four then, using a rolling pin and your hands, roll each one into a rough circle shape. Place on a floured baking sheet, then top with the tomato sauce and mozzarella, which is better pulled off rather than sliced. Scatter over the Parmesan and oregano, season and slide the pizza on to the hot stone or baking sheet. Bake two at a time or the oven won’t be hot enough for four. Just cut the first batch in half and eat while the next batch is baking. Bake for around 10 mins or until browned and bubbling. Serve immediately.
Top tip for making Margherita pizza
You can prepare the dough the day before and leave it to rise in the fridge. The tomato sauce can be prepared three days ahead and stored in the fridge.
