Pizza Margherita

Pizza Margherita

Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Olive Oil, and Basil Pizza

Here is the queen of pizzas, now more than one hundred years old. This original Neapolitan 

pizza is made without the addition of cherry tomatoes. It’s the simplicity and quality of the 

ingredients that make this pizza so wonderful.

makes one 9-inch pizza; serves 1or 2

1portion (9.5ounces) neapolitan pizza dough, at room temperature

Caputo flour for dusting

1/4cup salsa semplice

2 ounces fresh mozzarella di bufala or fior di latte, squeezed gently to release moisture, sliced, then 

drained on paper towels

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 fresh basil leaves

>> White bean soup with frizzled leeks <<

1  Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and place a baking stone on the rack. Preheat 
the oven to 500°F. Have ready a pizza peel.
2  Remove the dough from the plastic bag, keeping the smooth top side facing up. Place it on a lightly floured work surface and lightly dust the dough with flour. Using your fingertips (but not your nails), press down on the dough to flatten it and push it outward into a larger circle. Flip the dough over and repeat on the other side, and then flip the dough back over. (You always want the smooth side up.)
3  Thinking of the circle of dough as a clock face, make a fist with your left hand and place it firmly at the 9 o’clock position, about 1 inch in from the edge (this will keep the edge of the dough slightly thicker). Place your right hand at the 3 o’clock position, putting your thumb on top of the dough and your other fingers underneath. Lift the dough and stretch it a bit. Move the dough a one-eighth turn and repeat. Continue until you have evenly stretched the dough into a 9-inch circle with slightly thicker edges.
4  Dust the pizza peel generously with flour. Using your hands and working quickly, lift and transfer the dough to the pizza peel. Give the peel a few shakes back and forth to make sure the dough isn’t sticking.
5  To top the pizza: Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Distribute the slices of mozzarella evenly over the top. Drizzle the olive oil over the cheese.
6  Give the peel another gentle shake back and forth just to make sure the dough isn’t sticking. Slide the dough from the peel onto the baking stone using a quick jerking motion with your arm. (Work quickly to slide the pizza into the oven and close the door so the oven temperature doesn’t drop too much.) Bake the pizza until the crust is crisp and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Using the peel, remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Arrange the basil leaves like petals of a flower in the center of the pizza. Slice the pizza into wedges, or leave whole to be eaten folded in quarters, and serve immediately.