On a grey winter day, it’s usually easy to justify an afternoon kneading dough, isn’t it? Particularly if you know there’s a ball of fresh mozzarella in the fridge begging to become a blanket of bubbly goo on a chewy, homemade pizza. On days like this, I find endless comfort in classics – a movie I’ve seen a thousand times, my favorite cozy sweater, or a perfect chewy, cheesy, tomato-y margherita pizza.
Today is not just a any grey winter day. It is a grey winter day 48 hours before two gargantuan midterms for which I have mountains of information to stuff into my brain, wherever I can find an empty crevasse. So, however justifiable it would be to spend another afternoon kneading dough, today’s time constraints demand that the breadmaker should have all the fun. (Although, in retrospect, beating the bajeebers out of a lump of dough might have been significantly more therapeutic than hearing the loud, mechanical throbbing of a machine echoing the throbbing in my temples).
The sauce is gorgeous and simple, bursting with fresh tomato flavour, and mercifully – takes no time at all. A swirl of olive oil in a saucepan, toss in some garlic to brown, then empty a can of tomatoes. Let it bubble for about 15 minutes, then blend with a few whirls of an immersion blender. I like to keep mine quite chunky.
A baking stone is terrific for getting a good likeness to a pizza baked in a wood-fired oven. It should be placed on the lower-middle rack while the oven is preheating, and should be very hot before the pizza ever hits it. I preheat my oven then give it an additional 20 minutes, while I’m prepping the toppings. If you don’t have a baking stone, use an upside-down baking sheet. I really recommend using the cornmeal instead of flour for dusting. It makes a big difference in getting a chewy pizza that is simultaneously crisp.
The dough is equally fantastic when kneaded by hand, in a food processor with a dough blade, a standing mixer with a dough hook, or just tossed into the bread machine on the “dough” setting. It’s really very forgiving. And delicious. Good combination on a day like today, huh?
An easy, flavourful tomato sauce, a few leaves of fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt, and you’ve got a timeless pizza; a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.I adulterated it only slightly, by tossing a few black olives on top, not because I think the original is lacking anything but only because I think olives make everything more delicious.
Classic Margherita Pizza (with Olives)
Ingredients
For the margherita pizza
- pizza sauce recipe below
- pizza dough recipe below, rolled out (makes about four 12-inch thin crusts)
- ¼ cup torn basil leaves
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella if using fresh mozza, spray the grater with nonstick spray first
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- olive oil a drizzle
- sea salt to taste
- sliced pitted black olives optional
For the pizza dough (from America's Test Kitchen)
- 4 cups bread flour all-purpose works too, but the crust will be less crisp and chewy
- 1 envelope instant or rapid-rise yeast 2 1/4 tsp
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ¾ cups warm water
- cornmeal for dusting, optional
For the pizza sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Assemble and bake: Place a baking stone on the lower-middle rack and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C); allow the stone to heat for about 30 minutes. Spread sauce evenly over each rolled-out dough. Divide the shredded cheeses between the pizzas and top with basil leaves. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt (add olives if using). Transfer to the baking stone and bake about 10 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.
- Pizza dough: Whisk the flour, yeast and salt together in a large bowl. Add the oil and water and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together and looks shaggy. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead 10–15 minutes to form a smooth, round ball, using additional flour to prevent sticking. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap then a clean towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn out onto a cornmeal-dusted counter, cut into 3 even pieces, shape into smooth balls and rest about 20 minutes (this makes them easier to roll). Roll or stretch each ball into a circle of desired thickness.
- Pizza sauce: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Blend to desired consistency with a hand blender, food processor or regular blender.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is my new go-to pizza dough. The crust came out beautifully crisp on the bottom and chewy inside. Adding the olives was such a nice twist — I might not go back to plain margherita again!