Margherita Pizza

Ingredients

• •2 cups (250 g) bread flour or 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
• •3/4 cup (180 ml) warm water (about 100 °F / 38 °C)
• •1 teaspoon (3 g) instant or active-dry yeast
• •3/4 teaspoon (4 g) fine sea salt
• •1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl and drizzling
• •1 cup (240 g) canned whole San Marzano or plum tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand
• •1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, for the sauce
• •1 teaspoon (5 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for the sauce
• •200 g (7 oz) fresh whole-milk mozzarella (not low-moisture), torn into chunks and patted dry
• •8–10 large leaves fresh basil
• •1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for finishing
• •1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling after baking

Directions

1. 1Place your pizza stone or steel on the top oven rack (about 6–8 inches from the broiler). If using an upturned heavy baking sheet, place it on the same rack. Begin preheating the oven to its absolute maximum temperature — typically 500–550 °F (260–290 °C) — and let it heat for at least 45 minutes so the stone or steel is fully saturated with heat. Do not skip this: a screaming-hot surface is what creates a crisp, blistered base.
2. 2Make the dough: whisk the yeast into the warm water and let it sit 5 minutes (it should look slightly foamy if using active-dry; instant yeast can go straight in). Add the flour and salt, mix until a shaggy dough forms, then add the olive oil and knead on a lightly floured surface for 6–8 minutes until smooth, supple, and slightly tacky — it should spring back slowly when poked. Form into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave to rise at room temperature (ideally 70–75 °F / 21–24 °C) for 90 minutes, or until roughly doubled in size.
3. 3While the dough rises, make the sauce: crush the drained canned tomatoes with your hands directly into a bowl, breaking them into a rough, chunky purée. Stir in the 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Taste and adjust salt. Do not cook the sauce — it finishes cooking on the pizza in the oven. Pat the torn mozzarella pieces thoroughly dry with paper towels; excess moisture is the enemy of a crisp base.
4. 4After the 90-minute rise, gently punch down the dough and divide it into 2 equal balls (about 215 g each). For one pizza at a time: place a dough ball on a lightly floured surface and let it rest uncovered for 5 minutes — this relaxes the gluten and makes stretching easier.
5. 5Stretch the dough by hand — no rolling pin. Press the dough ball into a flat disc with your fingertips, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge untouched (this becomes the cornicione, or crust rim). Pick the disc up and drape it over your knuckles; rotate it gently while letting gravity stretch it outward, moving your hands apart slowly. If it tears, lay it down, press the tear closed, and continue. Aim for a roughly 10–12-inch round of even thickness, about 3–4 mm, thinner at the center. Lay it on a lightly floured pizza peel or on a sheet of parchment paper.
6. 6Work quickly from here so the dough doesn't stick. Spread 4–5 tablespoons of the no-cook tomato sauce over the stretched dough using the back of a spoon, leaving the border bare. Scatter the torn mozzarella evenly over the sauce — don't overload it; gaps are fine and allow the crust to blister. Add a light pinch of flaky salt.
7. 7Slide the pizza (peel or parchment and all) directly onto the preheated stone or steel. Bake at 500–550 °F (260–290 °C) for 7–10 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and charred in spots on the rim, the underside is crisp and browned (lift an edge with tongs to check), and the cheese is bubbling and beginning to blister with a few golden spots. If your oven has a broil function and the top is lagging, switch to broil for the final 1–2 minutes watching closely.
8. 8Remove the pizza with the peel or tongs and slide it onto a cutting board. Immediately scatter fresh basil leaves over the hot pizza — the heat will gently wilt them. Drizzle with a tablespoon of good olive oil and add another pinch of flaky salt if desired. Let it rest for 1–2 minutes before slicing into 4–6 pieces with a sharp knife or pizza wheel. Repeat with the second dough ball. Serve immediately — pizza waits for no one.

💡 Patting the mozzarella completely dry before topping is the single most important step for a crisp crust that isn't soggy in the middle.

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