Margherita Pizza - My Daily Hacks

margherita pizza It’s a simple traditional pizza made with pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil. Store-bought pizza dough makes it quick, but if you have the time, homemade pizza dough is delicious and pretty easy to make.

As much as we love a fully loaded supreme pizza or fun twists like Buffalo chicken pizza, there’s really nothing like a classic Margherita pizza. Simple perfection.

Sliced Margherita Pizza with Fresh Basil

Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Margherita Pizza

The amount of pizza I consumed on a recent visit to Italy is unrivaled. When I got home, I knew I had to create versions of some of my favorite pizzas (see photo below). Margherita pizza is a classic; is the best place to start.

Ingredients: Margherita pizza has a bright, fresh flavor with mozzarella, garlic, and fresh basil. This is a very simple pizza.
Skill level: Easy, especially with prepared dough and sauce.
Recommended tools: A pizza stone helps create a crispy, chewy crust.
Service Suggestions: It tastes great with a green salad, caprese-style sides, or macaroni salad.
Produce: Makes 1 12-inch pizza, about 4 meal servings or 6 appetizer servings. This recipe can be doubled.

Total time:

Ingredients for margherita pizza

Margherita pizza ingredients on a counter

Pizza dough: Use store-bought pizza dough, my easy pizza dough recipe, or try sourdough pizza dough. Let the refrigerated dough rest so that it stretches without jumping.
Pizza sauce: You can use this pizza sauce recipe or a jarred sauce. Since this recipe uses few ingredients, I would recommend a quality sauce. My two favorites are this one or this one, which was recommended to me at our local Italian market.
Fresh mozzarella: Margherita pizza is made with fresh mozzarella, which is usually sold in a round ball shape rather than a block. It is a soft cow’s milk cheese that melts wonderfully. You can use shredded block mozzarella instead, but it’s not as creamy.
Fresh basil: Add after baking for the freshest color and flavor.
Optional finishing touches: A pinch of red pepper flakes, a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan, or a drizzle of balsamic glaze and extra virgin olive oil can add more flavor.

How to make margherita pizza

Spread oil on pizza dough to make Margherita pizza

Roll out dough into a 12-inch circle.

add pizza sauce to pizza base to make Margherita pizza

Spread with pizza sauce

Add mozzarella slices to pizza to make Margherita pizza

Add fresh mozzarella cheese and bake.

Let sit for a few minutes and top with basil.

Use little sauce, as too much can make the crust heavy or soggy.
Preheat your pan or pizza stone while the oven heats for crispy edges and bottom.
Use parchment paper for easier transfer, especially with softer dough.
Add basil after baking to keep it bright and fresh.
To make ahead, divide the sauce, slice the cheese, and let the dough rest for quick and easy assembly.

How to store pizza

save leftovers margherita pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator to up to 4 days. Reheat the slices in a hot skillet, fryer, or oven to bring back that crispy, chewy crust.

To freezeWrap baked slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Add fresh basil after reheating for the best flavor. Pizza dough and sauce freeze well separately for easy preparation ahead.

Serving suggestions

Try a crunchy salad with Italian dressing or my favorite Italian salad. A quick Caesar salad dressing tossed with romaine lettuce and parmesan or an arugula salad.

Did you love this margherita pizza? Leave a rating and comment below!

image from Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Preparation time 25 minutes

Cooking time 15 minutes

Ascent time 30 minutes

Total time 40 minutes

Place a baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.
Stretch or roll out pizza dough into a 12-inch-wide circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper. Brush entire crust with olive oil.
Add the minced garlic to the pizza sauce and spread the sauce evenly over the pizza, leaving a half-inch border around the edges.
Evenly place slices of mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
Transfer the pizza (with the parchment paper) to the preheated baking sheet or pizza stone and bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
Let it rest for a few minutes and then cut. Top with fresh basil before serving.

Use a light coating of sauce to keep the crust crisp.
Preheat the pan or stone to obtain a golden bottom. Use parchment for easy transfer.
Add sliced tomatoes before baking, for a special touch.
Basil should be added after baking to keep it fresh.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary depending on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner

Kitchen Italian

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