Margherita Pizza: Margherita pizza, an Italian recipe, is basically made with toppings like tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil leaves.
INGREDIENTS:-
Homemade Pizza Dough:
- 2½ cup / 250-300 g regular baking flour
- 1 teaspoon refined sugar
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon kitchen salt
- Warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Flour for dusting
Pizza Sauce:
- 1 cup pureed tomatoes
- 2-3 grated garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2-3 portions of kitchen salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Toppings:
- 2-3 tablespoons finely ground cheddar
- fresh mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
- Some large fresh basil leaves
- dried red pepper flakes
INSTRUCTIONS:-
Prepare Pizza Dough:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the warm water and olive oil, and stir the mixture with a spoon until the batter simply starts to meet up. It will seem thick and dry.
- Knead the dough for three minutes. It should rapidly come together and start to get sticky. Dust the dough with flour as needed. After about 3 minutes, the dough should be smooth, somewhat flexible, and gummy. Lightly grease a huge mixing bowl with olive oil, and place the dough into the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and permit the dough to rise in a warm, dry area for 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat Oven and Pizza Steel Plate:
- Place the pizza steel plate on the rack of your oven and preheat the oven and steel at 285°C for a minimum of 60 minutes.
- As the oven is preheating, gather the ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together the pureed tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, pepper, and salt. Set aside a bowl with the cubed mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, and grated cheese.
- Separate the dough into two equivalent portions. It will flatten slightly. Place the dough on a large plate, cover gently with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Prepare the Pizza:
- Sprinkle the pizza peel with a tablespoon of semolina and dust with all-purpose flour. Gently utilize both hands to stretch one ball of pizza dough into roughly a 10-inch circle. Gently move the batter onto the semolina and flour-dusted pizza peel or baking sheet.
- Brush the dough lightly with olive oil. Using a large spoon, add tomato sauce to the pizza dough. Use the spoon to spread it evenly. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cheese onto the pizza sauce. Add half of the cubed mozzarella, distributing it uniformly over the whole pizza. Sprinkle the basil over the pizza.
- Heat for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling and caramelized and the edges of the pizza are golden brown.
- Remove the pizza carefully from the oven with the pizza peel, transfer it to a foil, and drizzle the top with olive oil, some grated cheese, and chiffonade of fresh basil. Cut and serve immediately.