Margherita Pizza

Name: Margherita Pizza
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: olive oil cooking spray; ¾ cup lukewarm water; 1 tablespoon active dry yeast; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 cups all-purpose flour; ¾ teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese; 4 cups sliced cherry tomatoes; salt and ground black pepper to taste; 16 fresh basil leaves, or to taste

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Try this modern take on the classic Neapolitan pizza favorite. It is traditionally made with marinara sauce, and this one uses fresh tomatoes in it's place. When the cherry tomatoes cook in the oven, they will melt into the cheese and provide a rich aromatic sweet tomato sauce flavor. What is most important here is using the freshest, highest-quality ingredients possible. The quality of your tomatoes, cheese, olive oil, and basil will influence the final outcome of the recipe.

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Servings: 4

Ready in: 2hr 30min PT2H30M

Ingredients

olive oil cooking spray
¾ cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
4 cups sliced cherry tomatoes
salt and ground black pepper to taste
16 fresh basil leaves, or to taste

Directions

Prepare a large bowl with cooking spray.
Stir lukewarm water and yeast together in a bowl; let stand for 5 minutes.
Mix the yeast mixture with the flour, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook until it comes together in a sticky ball.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough with your hands for about 5 minutes; form into a ball and transfer to the prepared bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel.
Set dough in a warm spot in your kitchen to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease 2 9-inch pizza pans with 1 tablespoon olive oil each.
Divide dough into two halves and roll into balls.
Spread each dough portion onto the prepared pans, pushing to the edges with your fingers.
Divide mozzarella cheese over each portion, spreading evenly to cover, but leaving a border around the edges.
Arrange tomatoes over the cheese.
Drizzle remaining olive oil over the pizzas; season with salt and pepper.
Bake pizzas in preheated oven until crust is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, .
Garnish pizzas with fresh basil and slice to serve.

Mealthy tip:

You can always purchase pizza dough at your local market or make it ahead of time and freeze it to save time in the kitchen. If you are using a sheet tray, do not divide the dough into halves. Just spread the dough into a rectangular shape.

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5.0out of 5 Stars

(3 Reviews)

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What others are saying

Sam Dalton says:

These pizzas were so good! We made them for my daughter's birthday, using mini personal pan dishes. Everybody loved them!

Greg Jones says:

Very good margherita pizza. The dough was really easy to make and cooked well. The fresh basil leaves was a nice addition, instead of being cooked with the pizza. Easy, simple ingredients, and delicious.

Geoff Villeneuve says:

Some people say you tomatoes don't belong on a pizza. I say, why not?