How to make Pizza Margherita

Ingredients:- 

For the dough :- 

• 400g plain flour
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch sea salt
• 30g fresh yeast
• 310ml tepid water

For the topping :- 

450g pendula tomatoes or 625g fresh tomato sauce
1 crushed clove garlic
olive oil
Salt
280g Buffalo mozzarella
12 basil leaves



How To Make the Pizza :- 

Preheat oven to 220C/Gas 7.

Shape flour into a mound and make an indentation on the top. Pour the oil into the indentation and add the salt. Melt the yeast in a cup  of tepid water and pour it into the middle. Start kneading  the dough with your hands until all the yeast is absorbed and the dough feels elastic, firm, and looks shiny. Add more water if dough seems too dry.

Roll it into a ball, sprinkle with flour and place in a bowl. Make a cross on the top. Cover with a cloth and leave it to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour in winter and 30 minutes in summer.

Meanwhile Cut the tomatoes in half. As you drop them into a medium-sized bowl squeeze them with your hands so that the juice comes out. Add garlic, olive oil, salt, and half the basil leaves. Leave to marinate.

Stretch the dough and then roll it out with a rolling pin on a floury surface, until it is about 0.5cm thick. Cover the surface of a baking tray with 1 tbsp of oil. Sprinkle with salt.

Place dough on baking sheet and press the edges in firmly with your fingers. Add tomatoes, reserving a little of the juice, and drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes. 

Remove from oven and add chopped  mozzarella. Tear the remaining basil leaves and scatter over mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan and the rest of the tomato juice. Cook for 5 minutes. Eat immediately.