Medium Margherita Pizza Recipe
Make Medium Margherita Pizza Recipe in just 1h 35m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Dough
Sauce
Toppings
Assembly & Baking
Method
Dough
- 1
Activate yeast
In a small bowl, combine warm water (about 105–115°F / 40–46°C), sugar, and active dry yeast. Stir gently and let sit 5–8 minutes until foamy.
- 2
Mix dough
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour and salt. Add the foamy yeast mixture and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand on a lightly floured surface or with the mixer on medium-low for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- 3
- 4
Shape
Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Form into a ball and let rest 10 minutes to relax the gluten. Then, using your hands, press and stretch into a 12-inch (medium) round about 1/4 inch thick with a slightly thicker rim. Alternatively, roll gently with a rolling pin for consistent thickness.
Sauce
- 5
Prepare sauce
While dough rises, make the quick tomato sauce. In a small bowl, stir together crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon olive oil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and chiffonade basil. Taste and adjust seasoning. The sauce should be bright and lightly seasoned—no cooking required for fresh flavor.
Assembly & Baking
- 6
Preheat oven
Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat oven to its highest setting (475–500°F / 245–260°C) for at least 30 minutes so the surface is very hot.
- 7
Prepare peel or pan
Dust a pizza peel or an inverted baking sheet with semolina or cornmeal to prevent sticking. If using a baking sheet for the pizza, lightly oil it instead and dust with a little flour.
- 8
Sauce the dough
Transfer the stretched dough to the prepared peel or baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon, spread 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border for the crust.
- 9
Add cheese and toppings
Distribute the 8 oz sliced fresh mozzarella evenly over the sauced dough in slightly overlapping pieces for even melting. Tuck or scatter half of the fresh basil leaves under the cheese if you like a more infused flavor and reserve the rest for finishing.
- 10
Bake
Quickly slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or place the baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 8–12 minutes, rotating halfway if your oven bakes unevenly, until the crust is golden and blistered in spots and the cheese is melted and bubbling with a few golden brown spots.
- 11
Finish
Remove the pizza from the oven. Immediately top with the remaining fresh basil leaves, drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over the pizza, and sprinkle a light pinch of coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired. Let rest 2–3 minutes, then slice into 6–8 slices.