Pizza margherita
Serves: 2-3
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Pizza margherita
Dough yourself a favour and make this simple classic – pizza tossing skills not needed
Serves: 2-3
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving (1 of 2))
Calories
1Kcal
Fat
40gr
Saturates
23gr
Carbs
128gr
Sugars
12gr
Fibre
9gr
Protein
44gr
Salt
4gr
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Ingredients
For the dough
- 150g ‘00’ flour
- 150g plain flour
- 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast
- 1 tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to grease and drizzle
For the pizza sauce
- handful of fresh basil, leaves and stalks separated
- ½ tbsp butter
- ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ onion
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes (we used Mutti)
- 1 tsp tomato purée
- 1 bay leaf
For the topping
- 1 x 290g pack Taste the Difference buffalo mozzarella, drained and torn into chunks
- parmesan, grated (optional)
Step by step
- Combine the flours, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. In a jug, combine 200ml lukewarm water and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid. Knead in the bowl for 5 minutes. Cover and set aside, leaving to rest for 15 minutes.
- Turn out the dough and knead on your work surface for 3-4 minutes until smooth – don’t be tempted to add more flour, as this will dry out the dough (using a dough scraper will make this easier). Divide the dough in half and shape both pieces into balls. Grease two large bowls, add a ball of dough to each and cover with damp tea towels. Leave to prove in a warm place for 3 hours, or cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours, up to 24 hours.
- Start on the sauce. Finely chop the basil stalks. Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, cut-side down, and brown for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano with a large pinch of salt and sauté for a further minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, purée, bay leaf and chopped basil stalks. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to the lowest heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until reduced and thickened, stirring often. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick or starts to stick. Remove the onion and bay leaf, set the pan aside and leave to cool slightly, then use a potato masher to crush any larger chunks of tomato. Season, then set aside to cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to around 250°C, fan 230°C, gas 10, 30 minutes before baking, and put a large, upturned baking tray on the middle shelf. If your dough has been chilled, remove from the fridge 30 minutes ahead of shaping. Place a large sheet of baking paper on your work surface and turn out a ball of dough. Gently shape into a rough 26cm round. Use your thumb and forefinger to create a crust on the edge of the dough. Spread half the pizza sauce onto the base, avoiding the crust. Scatter with half the mozzarella and transfer the uncooked pizza, still on its baking paper, to the preheated baking tray. Bake for 5 minutes, then carefully pull away the baking paper from under the pizza. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until cooked through and lightly charred at the edges. Repeat with the remaining dough, sauce and mozzarella.
- Top with torn basil leaves, grated parmesan, if liked, and a drizzle of oil, and serve immediately.
