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Pizza Margherita

Source of Recipe

From "Simple Comforts: 50 Heartwarming Recipes" by Sur La Table


Recipe Introduction

"Pizza is a hands-down favorite anytime, anywhere. And while you can get good pizza when eating out, truly great pizza is much easier to find at home, mostly because you can top it exactly the way you want. The Margherita is the simplest of all pizzas, a classic tomato and cheese, representing the colors of the Italian flag with a green sprinkling of fresh basil. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours or frozen for up to 1 month. To help it slide onto the pizza stone or upturned pan, dust with semolina. If you don't have semolina, cornmeal will work, but it burns more quickly."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 tablespoons warm water (110° to 115° F)
â—¦ 1 â…› teaspoons active dry yeast, or ½ teaspoon instant yeast
â—¦ ½ cup water
â—¦ 4 teaspoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
â—¦ 1 ½ cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ¼ cup tomato sauce
â—¦ 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, chilled (or ¾ cup packaged grated cheese)
â—¦ Semolina or cornmeal
â—¦ 4 large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped


Recipe

Pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast, whisk by hand to blend, and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast is activated and looks creamy. Add the ½ cup water and 4 teaspoons olive oil and whisk by hand to blend. Add the flour and salt. Knead the dough on low speed for 2 minutes, or until it comes together in a cohesive mass. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp lint-free cotton towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes to allow it to fully hydrate before further kneading. Turn the mixer to medium-low and continue to knead until the dough is firm, elastic, and smooth, 3 to 6 minutes. Lightly oil a bowl and scrape the dough into it, then lightly coat the surface of the dough with a little oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled, 45 to 60 minutes (longer if the room is cold).

Place a pizza stone or overturned sheet pan in the oven. Preheat the oven to 500° F. Allow 30 minutes to 1 hour for the stone to fully heat. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Press down on the dough firmly to expel some of the air bubbles, but don't knead the dough again or it will be too springy and difficult to shape (if this happens, simply cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp lint-free cotton towel and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes to give the gluten some time to relax).

Dust the top of the dough with flour, then press down with your fingers (or use a rolling pin) to flatten the dough into a disk about 12 inches in diameter. Alternatively, slip your hands, knuckles up, under the dough and lift it up, then gently stretch the dough by pulling your fists apart. Rotate the dough each time you pull so the dough is stretched into an even circle.

Brush any excess flour from the surface and underside of the dough. Center the round of dough on a piece of parchment paper on top of a sheet pan. Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Slice the mozzarella as thinly as possible (at least ¼ inch—a serrated knife works well here), or grate it. Arrange the cheese over the sauce. Shake the sheet forward and back to make sure the pizza is loose enough to slide. If it's stuck, use a spatula to lift up the dough and toss a bit of semolina underneath. Once the pizza moves freely, gently shake the sheet until the pizza is at the very front edge.

Open the oven door and set the front edge of the sheet at the back of the baking stone or upturned sheet pan. With a quick jerk, let the pizza settle on the stone or pan. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the dough is golden brown at the edges and across the bottom. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Brush the edges with the 1 tablespoon olive oil to give the golden crust a beautiful shine. Scatter the basil over the top and cut the pizza into eight wedges. Serve immediately.

Makes one 12-inch pizza