Pizza Margherita! (CONTEST IS CLOSED)
Today Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day
was published! Time to start baking from it, so I’m posting one of our favorite doughs from the book. I have to admit it took a while to decide which one to share, since our favorite seems to change with our moods. This Olive Oil Dough is fantastic for a thin crust, a thick crust and so many worldly flatbreads. No matter the technique you decide to try, you’ll love the results.
I like to make the classic Pizza Margherita, it’s the ultimate in Italian toppings. In fact, the colors resemble the Italian flag and the pizza was named for the Italian queen, Margherita, because she fell in love with it. Nothing but tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. So pure and so tasty.
Pizza Margherita
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day:
3 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Yeast
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
7 1/2 cups (scoop and sweep) unbleached all-purpose flour
Toppings:
1/3 cup tomato (Sauce recipe p. 109 or drain diced tomato straight from the can)
3 ounces Fresh Mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Fresh Basil
Olive oil for drizzling over the top before baking
Pinch of salt
Flour, cornmeal or parchment for the pizza peel
To make the dough: Use our dump and stir method of mixing the dough in a 5-quart Container with Lid, using a Danish Dough Whisk or wooden spoon. Then cover the container, not airtight and let it rest for about 2 hours on the counter. The dough can then be used right away, but it is much easier to handle once it has been thoroughly chilled. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks!
To make the pizza:
Preheat your oven to the highest setting, which will be 500 to 550°F, with a pizza stone in the bottom 1/3 of the oven. Depending on the thickness of your stone this can take between 20 and 40 minutes.
Pull out an 8-ounce piece of dough from your bucket and quickly form it into a ball, no more than 30 seconds of work. Let it sit on the counter while you gather your toppings.
Roll the ball out into a 1/8-inch-thick round. If the ball is resisting just let it sit for about 5 minutes and it will relax and allow you to work with it.
Sprinkle a Pizza Peel with flour. Spread the tomato over the dough.
Place the chunks of cheese over the sauce and drizzle with the olive oil.
Check for doneness in about 8 to 10 minutes, turn the pizza around if it seems to be browning on one side more than the other. It may take up to 5 more minutes.
Let the pizza cool slightly, so the cheese can set a little before cutting with a Pizza Cutter. This is best done on a cooling rack if you want to keep a crisp bottom crust.
Using the freezer to save even more time
You can freeze my doughs anytime during their batch life, for up to two weeks. Make half-pound (orange-size) balls and wrap them well before freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then use as usual. With the assistance of your freezer, there are three more ways to save even more time:
- To freeze prepared 1/8-inch thick dough disks, set up cookie sheets with parchment paper and freeze prepared dough disks on the parchment. As soon as they’re set (about 30 to 40 minutes), stack them, leaving parchment paper between disks. Pack into gallon-size ziplock bags, then freeze and use within three weeks. Bake them still frozen by placing, un-thawed, on a greased baking sheet, assembling the pizza, and then baking in a preheated oven. If you bake right on the parchment you can place it directly onto a preheated baking stone.
- To freeze a pre-baked pizza crust: Bake the crusts “blind”, docking (puncturing) them well with a fork, removing them from the oven when they just begin to brown (about four minutes). Check for puffing at one minute and dock again if you see any or you’ll end up with pita bread. Allow to cool on a rack before separating crusts with parchment or wax paper and freezing in a ziplock bag. These will be far superior to store-bought pre-baked pizza crusts, just as convenient, and a little quicker-baking than using unbaked frozen dough (see above). You can bake them frozen or defrosted (when using frozen crusts it will take a few more minutes to complete the baking).
- To freeze a pre-baked pizza: Bake a pizza as usual, and allow it to cool completely. Freeze in a heavy-duty freezer bag, preferably zip-lock. When ready to use, remove from bag, and place on a preheated baking stone for about 10 minutes (watch carefully to prevent scorching and consider lower baking temperature if you’re finding the pizza dry). While this method won’t be quite as impressive as the other methods on this list, it’s clearly the fastest.
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THIN crust! Just the basics (pizza margherita). My mouth is watering!!
After visiting Naples, my favorite is now Pizza Marinara with fresh-made marinara and fresh oregano. Splendido!
Cashews on cheese pizza
My favorite is a thin cruse with tasty red sauce topped with spinach, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, onions and mozzarella.
pepperoni, cheese, sauce, and of course
homemade dough for the crust
Thin crust pizza, with sauteed summer squash,
a thin dusting of fennel and coriander,olive
oil and parmesan cheese
Love Pizza Margherita! Fresh basil and fresh mozzarella… yum!
My favorite pizza is the one I make myself with fresh sliced tomatoes, buffalo mozz, and grated asiago. Yum!
I could pig out on white pizza totally covered in garlic~! Not fancy, but fab~!!!
favorite pizza today-hand tossed crust with small amount of tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese
sprinkling of salt
i think that the simple the better so i always make my pizza with a few toppings so you can really taste the flavors:
mozzarella and prosciutto,
mozzarella garlic and spinach,
mozzarella onions and arugola,
caramelized onions and dry tomatos
artichokes and feta cheese..
anything really ,but i always keep it simple!
ciao
PS i know that i can’t win the giveaway because i’m in Canada but i just wanted to share my thoughts !
i looove pizza 🙂
Thanks guys
<3
I love either a very basic thin crust pizza (like pizza margherita) or a deep dish pizza with lots of veggies.
My favorite pizza? Hmmm, I would say sausage, oven-roasted tomatoes and mozzarella. Today. Tomorrow I could say something else. 😉
Thanks for a great giveaway.
KitchenAid Mixer just arrived…just found your website – I MUST be in heaven!
My fav would have to be garlic with tomato with garlic with spinach with garlic with feta. Did I mention garlic?
Cheers!
I love pissaladiere–a caramelized onion (and anchovies, nicois olives, and herbes de provence) pizza from the South of France!
Can’t wait to try this crust recipe!
I love pizza! Pizza Margherita is a favorite. Good luck with the new book! Can’t wait to try your recipes. Thank you for a chance to win your great giveaway.
I love Greek-style pizza–with spinach, red peppers, feta, kalamata olives–yum!
Just had fig and prosciutto at Figs on Beacon Hill and have been dreaming of it ever since. Would love to have a pizza party.
Congrats Zoe and Jeff. What an adventure.
We all have different likes in this family. Looking forward to your book so we can make individual pizzas to meet all tastes. (we preordered so should receive it this week!)
I made pizza for every Saturday dinner for my husband and four children while they were growing up. I sweated “putty balls” to get it all done — and now I find there is an easier way! If I only knew your method back then, I know I wouldn’t be so worn out now!! We still love homemade pizza — especially with green pepper and onion, so I was thrilled to get the email that my copy of your latest book has shipped. Thanks for all your efforts ovr these last few years.
Yum, those photos are tasty. I like good ole cheese pizza made with my mom and dad’s recipe for homemade pizza dough. We make it every Christmas Eve!
My fav pizza is whole wheat thin crust loaded with fresh mushrooms, green and red peppers, onions, and loaded with mozzarella.
I love white pizza, thin crust, with ricotta cheese. Mmmm!
Thank you for making pizza night even better with your new release! The fun and ease to put together a pizza party with little effort! My wife may even try this in her classroom! The kids well all get to take home their own “take and bake” pizza!
Pizza Margherita for me!
I like thin crust veggie pizza. Please remove those yucky mushrooms.
I keep a copy of Artisan Bread in 5 on my coffee table-guests look through it and inevitably say they have to get a copy of it! Can’t wait to add the pizza book to the table!
Favorite pizza: anything-never met a pizza I didn’t like!
hard to pick just one favorite, but i’ll say roasted butternut squash with smoked cheddar cheese pizza. really looking forward to the new book!
I love pizza made with a clean tasting, tangy tomato sauce; mozzarella cheese; some sliced onions; and a scattering of snipped anchovies.
Actually I fell in love with margherita pizza when I was living in Brazil. I can’t wait to try your recipe! I have been using your basic master recipe on my grill and absolutely love it! I grill the crust, flip it, top it and grill it some more. I love having dough on hand. -I even put my bread maker in the garage sale this summer!
I love mine with sausage, peppers and onions.
I am very traditional in my pizza toppings, I don’t like to much “weird stuff” though the Margherita one time at a restaurant was very good.
I love any kind of veggie pizza especially with that perfect crusty bread crust that’s just slightly chewy inside and lots and lots of gooey cheese.
Any pizza, any time!! One of my favorites is bacon, sauted onions and feta cheese on tomato sauce.
I don´t know if I have just 1 favorite pizza, because I like pizza in general but some I really like are sweet corn pizza and garlic with parsley pizza. Once I tried one with roasted eggplant slices, it was REALLY GOOD (but I really like eggplants too so :))
I love all the recipes and ideas and am looking forward to your latest book!
Favorite pizza at our house: barbeque chicken with pineapple and jalepenos. Mmmm.
My fav is a white pizza – olive oil, garlic, basil and mozzarella on a very thin crust.
I like just about any kind of pizza!
Thin crust with anchovies and onions. Looking forward to the new book.
My favourite pizza has always been mushrooms, pepperoni and green olives.
Thin crust with oven roasted tomatoes,garlic,peppers and onions and fresh basil…with a bit of fresh mozzarella and grated Parmesan….a favorite at our house.
I love meaty pizza!
Tonight our eight year old requested pizza for Christmas breakfast this year. Maybe so!
Pesto pizza is my favorite!
I accidentally discovered ham & pineapple with a bbq sauce base about a year ago, and it’s pretty great.
Three cheese (provalone, mozarella, parmesan) is our favorite, and I always make a whole wheat crust.
pineapple and bacon….mmmmm.
My fav is pesto sauce with fresh mozzarella and slices of fresh tomatoes (after baking). Yum!
Roasted vegies, a light smear of good pasta sauce, a bit of Italian sausage and garlic olives and feta from the olive bar at the grocery store. Top with a sprinkle of Italian blend cheese, all on top of a ABin5 crust and baked on a stone. I need to buy the new book!
Congratulations on the new book! I love 5-cheese pizza with a very thin crust. Stone ovens are best for it!
I love making all types of pizzas but one of my absolute favorites is figs, caramelized onions and goat cheese. Can’t wait to check out the new book!