Recipes for the Web

Barrington Software Incorporated

Pizza Margherita

Now a well-loved and widely traveled variety of pizza, this combination was the inspiration of

19th-century Neapolitan pizza maker Raffaele Esposito, who created it to honor Queen Margherita,

wife of Italy’s King Umberto I, on a royal visit to Naples in 1889.

For the pizza dough:

1 Tbs. (1 package) active dry yeast

3/4 cup plus 2 tbs. lukewarm water (105°F)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for working

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

For the topping:

7 oz. mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

8 fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 handful of fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

To make the pizza dough, in a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and let stand until

slightly foamy on top, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 3/4 cups flour and the salt and form into a mound. Make a well

in the center and add the yeast mixture to the well. Using a fork and stirring in a circular motion,

gradually pull the flour into the yeast mixture. Continue stirring until a dough forms.

Lightly flour a work surface with some of the 1/2 cup flour and transfer the dough to it. Using the

heel of your hand, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the

dough into a ball.

Brush a large bowl with the oil and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at

room temperature until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat an oven to 450°F. If using a baking stone or tiles, place in the oven now.

Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with the remaining flour. Punch the dough down and

using your hand, begin to press it out gently into the desired shape. (If you want to make individual

pizzas, divide the dough into four equal-size pieces and shape each one.) Place one hand in the

center of the dough and, with the other hand, pull, lift and stretch the dough, gradually working your

way all around the edge, until it is the desired thickness, about 1/4 inch thick for a crusty pizza

base and 1/2 inch thick for a softer one. Flip the dough over from time to time as you work with it.

(Or roll out the dough with a rolling pin.) The dough should be slightly thinner in the middle than at

the edge. Lift the edge of the pizza to form a slight rim.

Transfer the dough to a pizza peel or baking sheet, cover with a cotton towel and let rise again until

almost doubled, about 20 minutes.

Cover the dough with the mozzarella and then the tomatoes. Scatter the basil over the top. Season

with salt and pepper and drizzle 3 Tbs. of oil over the top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10

minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F and bake until the crust is golden, about 10

minutes more. Drizzle the remaining 1 Tbs. oil over the top and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Series, Pizza, by Lorenza de' Medici (Time-Life