Homemade Pizza Margherita
Well, it only took two days of “cool” 60-degree weather for me to snap into full-on fall mode. The temperature has since climbed back to summery heights, but it’s too late for me—I seem to have caught fall fever. And with the brief dip in temperatures came the return of Friday night pizza! In the spring, I shared my favorite crust recipe in this post, but I realize now I’ve never shared the sauce I make for a margherita pie. So I’ll do that now!
This sauce is easy, light, and quick to assemble—everything you need for a low key pizza night. To give you an idea of how good and simple this recipe is, get this: I first learned how to make it when I was living at home with my parents and I’m still making it all these years later. It is not to be confused with Sunday sauce (or gravy, if you like) but it is bright and tangy with a kick of crushed red pepper, and honestly, it’s just the perfect thing for homemade pizza.
And if all of this rainy weather we’ve been experiencing on the East Coast has you feeling a bit down, this pizza is the perfect thing to perk up your weeknight.
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Pizza Margherita
dough adapted from Jim Leahy’s My Bread; pizza recipe is my own
Serves: 2-3
Prep Time: 5 minutes active, 2 hours 30 minutes inactive
Cook Time: about 15 minutes
Ingredients:
Dough:
3 ¾ cups bread flour
1 packet yeast (¼ ounce)
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon plus a pinch sugar (it helps activate the yeast!)
1 ¾ cups room temperature water
Sauce:
Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Toppings:
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
¼ cup Pecorino Romano
Directions:
Make the dough: Whisk flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Slowly add the water while mixing with a rubber spatula. The mixture will form a shaggy dough; if it’s too dry, add a little more water 1 tablespoon at a time but be careful it doesn’t stick to your hands. Once dough comes together, gently give it a few kneads with clean hands (3-4 turns in the bowl) until it comes together in a ball, then cover with a clean cotton towel and allow it to rise in the bowl for 2 hours in a non-drafty area of the kitchen.
After two hours, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board and slice in half with a pastry cutter. Gently form the two halves into individual ovals about 3 inches apart, then cover with the towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes more. Remember, this makes dough for 2 pizzas. Store the one you aren’t using in an olive-oil coated plastic bag after this rise.
Make the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; sauté for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine, then add oregano, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until sauce has thickened slightly.
Make the pizza: Preheat oven to 500°. Drizzle olive on a large cookie sheet. Invert dough and using fingertips, shape the dough into a rectangle to reach the edges. No need to make a “crust”—this pizza gets the topping all the way to the edges! Pop the dough into the oven to bake for 6 minutes.
Remove pizza from the oven, spread sauce over the entire crust, taking care not to let the sauce pool in the center. Scatter sliced mozzarella, then sprinkle with Pecorino. Continue baking until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.
