Name: Margherita Pizza
Total time: 720 min
Ingredients: 3.5 cups (550 grams) bread flour (preferably King Arthur), plus more for kneading and shaping the dough; .75 teaspoon (3 grams) active dry yeast; 1.5 cups cold water, preferably filtered (not distilled); 1.5 teaspoons (10 grams) fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon Italian or Californian extra-virgin olive oil; 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, such as Bianco diNapoli; Pinch of dried oregano; 2 tablespoons water, or as needed; 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, halved then cut into ¼-inch thick slices; Semolina flour (or half bread flour and half finely ground cornmeal), for work surface; Grated Pecorino Romano; Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling; 16 large fresh basil leaves (about 15 large)

Margherita Pizza with Arugula — Photo: Bella Graves

Active Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Refrigerate Time:

8 hrs

Rest Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time:

12 hrs

Servings:

Fresh, homemade pizza can be supremely satisfying, and this Margherita recipe from creative director-turned-professional pizza baker Miriam Weiskind turns out a next-level pie.

Frequently asked questions

What tools are needed to make pizza at home?

Beyond your oven, you'll also need a food scale, a pizza peel (Weiskind recommends one with a thin tip for easier launching), baking steel, a mixing bowl, a spatula, a pizza slicer, a pizza screen, and finally, a pizza tray.

What is the trick to good pizza dough?

Great pizza starts with great dough. Weiskind's recipe calls for bread flour (preferably King Arthur), active dry yeast, cold water (ideally filtered, don't use distilled), fine sea salt, and extra-virgin olive oil. The latter helps give the dough elasticity, she says.

Throughout the dough-making process, the dough goes through a few stages of kneading and then rest. The final resting period in the refrigerator lasts anywhere from overnight to five days, During that time, Weiskind explains that the dough "has been forming gas and carbon dioxide," resulting in the bubbles you'll see in the dough, and that it becomes more flavorful as it ages.

What is Margherita pizza sauce made of?

Weiskind says simplicity is the secret to a good sauce, and this one only calls for three ingredients: whole peeled canned tomatoes, water, and dried oregano, which you can gently pulse together with an immersion blender.

Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

You'll bake each pizza for six to eight minutes at 500°F (rotating halfway through), cutting fresh basil on top once it's out of the oven. If you'd like, after slicing the finished pizza, you can also top it with fresh arugula, thinly sliced prosciutto, and a sprinkle of shaved Parmesan for an extra-special touch.

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Ingredients

Dough

3 ½ cups (550 grams) bread flour (preferably King Arthur), plus more for kneading and shaping the dough
¾ teaspoon (3 grams) active dry yeast
1 ½ cups cold water, preferably filtered (not distilled)
1 ½ teaspoons (10 grams) fine sea salt
1 tablespoon Italian or Californian extra-virgin olive oil

Pizzas

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, such as Bianco diNapoli
Pinch of dried oregano
2 tablespoons water, or as needed
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, halved then cut into ¼-inch thick slices
Semolina flour (or half bread flour and half finely ground cornmeal), for work surface
Grated Pecorino Romano
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
16 large fresh basil leaves

Directions

Make the dough

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Mound the flour mixture in the middle of the bowl. Add the water to the bowl around the mound of flour. Slowly stir the water while gradually knocking the flour from the pile into the water. It should start to get shaggy. Use your hand to fold and knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a rough ball, adding more water by the teaspoonful if the dough doesn't come together. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes to allow the gluten to bond and activate.
Sprinkle the salt on top of the dough. Gently press into the dough and begin to gently squeeze and knead until the dough no longer feels grainy, about 4 minutes. Add the oil and sprinkle lightly with flour; squeeze the dough and knead it until the oil is absorbed, about 4 minutes. Once the ball is mostly smooth, transfer to a work surface and let rest for 2 minutes.
Dust the dough with a little bit of flour and begin to stretch, fold, and knead it until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. The dough is ready when you can pull a piece and it doesn't break but rather forms a see-through windowpane.
Using a bench scraper or large knife, cut the dough into 4 even pieces. Knead each one and form a smooth ball and pinch the bottom edges together. Place each round into a lightly oiled pint-sized plastic container. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or up to 5 days).

Make the pizzas

Bring the dough out of the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for an hour. Meanwhile, arrange the oven rack about 4 inches from the source of heat, (the top or bottom of the oven depending on what type of oven you have). Place a pizza steel, pizza stone, or a rimless or inverted baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500°F; let it heat up for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl. Using an immersion blender, gently break down the tomatoes (you can also do this with your hands). Mix in a pinch of oregano and up to 2 tablespoons of water if needed to thin sauce. Place the sliced mozzarella in a bowl lined with paper towels to drain the extra moisture from the cheese.
When the oven is fully preheated, proceed with assembling your pizzas. Place a handful of semolina into a medium bowl. Add 1 dough round to the bowl and turn to coat. Sprinkle a work surface with semolina and stretch or roll the dough into a 10- to 12-inch round. Sprinkle semolina flour on a pizza peel or rimless baking sheet and set the dough on top. Top with about 6 tablespoons of the sauce, spreading it over the dough in ever-expanding circles with the back of a spoon and leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with a few pinches of pecorino, 3 ounces of the mozzarella, and a drizzle of oil.
Gently shake the pizza on the peel to loosen. Carefully slide the pizza from the peel to the pizza stone. Bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown, rotating it halfway through baking, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and, using scissors, quickly snip 4 basil leaves into thin slices over hot pizza. Cut pizza into slices and serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining dough, sauce, and toppings to make three additional pizzas.