BEST Homemade Margherita Pizza
My search for the best homemade margherita pizza (made in a standard oven with everyday ingredients) is over! You’ll want to make this homemade pizza recipe over and over again. For step-by-step dough instructions, check out the margherita pizza video below!
The time has come! I’ve been teasing you on Instagram for weeks, and I sincerely apologize. I was busy eating this margherita pizza.
Ok, so let me be honest. I rarely ever, EVER tell you that a recipe is the best of anything. Let alone, put it in caps! Sure, I’ll say that something is delicious, but declaring such bold statements generally makes me extremely uncomfortable. I’m terrified that you will go home and make said best-ever-recipe and be disappointed. I would hate that.
But I’m feeling very good about this best margherita pizza recipe and I’m confident that you will love it.
I’m not an authority on homemade pizza by any means, but I’ve definitely eaten my share of pizza, both excellent and not so great.
The best margherita pizza that I’ve ever eaten in my entire life was in Naples, Italy a few years ago during our trip to the Amalfi Coast. We stood in line in a cobblestone street just off of Via Tribunali in the historic neighborhood (known for having the best pizza places in the entire world), and snagged a table at the famous Gino Sorbillo.
It’s always a good sign when you’re in Italy and a million other Italians are standing in line for the exact same pizza. No tourists, just Italians. It wasn’t fancy in the slightest. There was a disco light hanging from the ceiling and the cups were of the flimsy plastic variety.
Oh, but it was glorious. The pizzas cost only three euros and arrived flopping off of the plates. Literally, flopping. They were huge. I ate every last bite of that pizza and came back for another one the very next day.
So, when I say that today’s recipe is the best homemade margherita pizza, I’m taking all of these pizza-eating experiences into account. I’m not going to claim that this pizza tastes identical to a true Neapolitan pizza or that you’ll never taste a better pizza outside of your kitchen again. That would be ludicrous (and slightly obnoxious) and just not true.
But I do believe that this is the best margherita pizza that you’ll be able to make in your own kitchen, with a standard oven, with normal everyday ingredients (no fancy flours required), and without preparing an incredibly time-intensive pizza dough days in advance.
Homemade Pizza Equipment Recommendations:
First things first. Let’s talk equipment. A baking stone or steel is a must for great pizza at home. I used to own this one and though its bulky and sometimes annoying, I store it in my oven 99% of the time so that it doesn’t take up valuable storage space (just be sure to remove it from your oven when you are baking or cooking other recipes!). I recently replaced it with this baking steel and love it even more.
Pizza stones can be expensive, but I genuinely believe they are 100% worth the investment if you are interested in making pizza or bread at home. Baking stones absorb the heat from your oven and allow you to mimic brick-ovens, which generally reach temperatures in excess of 800 degrees Fahrenheit. They help you achieve crispy crusts by pulling moisture from whatever dough you are baking, including pizza crusts.
I also recommend a pizza peel, because it will make pizza-making so much easier. Wooden or metal, it will allow you to slide the pizza quickly onto the baking stone and make it much easier to remove the pizza from the oven once it is done.
If you don’t own a pizza peel (or don’t want to own a pizza peel), you can use the back of a large baking sheet or flat cookie sheet to transfer the pizza onto the stone – but it is cumbersome!
Tips for Margherita Pizza Success:
For the best margherita pizza, you will want to preheat your oven to the highest temperature possible. For my oven, that is 550 degrees Fahrenheit. I allow my baking stone to preheat for at least 30 minutes (regardless of whether my oven is ready as it takes time for your baking stone to come to temperature). The higher the temperature the better. This recipe makes two 10-inch pizzas, and they should be able to properly cook in 7 to 8 minutes at that temperature.
[I have heard of some substitutes for pizza stones (such as using a cast-iron pan, which does work or preheating a baking sheet), but I generally find that they involve a very, very hot piece of equipment (that you’re then transferring the pizza onto) and it involves a lot more hassle.
It is essential that your pizza dough is very thin when it goes into the oven. The edges can be slightly thicker, but you should be able to see some light through the dough (in the center), otherwise you won’t be able to achieve a thin, yet crisp pizza crust.
Margherita Pizza Toppings:
Ok, that was a lot of discussion about pizza equipment. Let’s get to the toppings! I’ve experimented a lot with homemade pizzas over the years and have generally been disappointed in my early attempts at margherita pizzas for various reasons.
What Tomato Sauce Is Best For Pizza?
I have learned along the way that raw tomato sauces are the way to go. They are also extremely easy, flavorful, and authentic. Pureed San Marzano canned tomatoes (if you can’t find San Marzano, Italian plum tomatoes are the next best option), garlic (pressed or grated with a microplane), a touch of olive oil, salt, and pepper. That’s it!
Whatever you do, avoid putting a thick layer of sauce on the pizza as it will result in a less crisp crust. It should be very thin.
What is the Best Mozzarella for Pizza?
Mozzarella! Buy fresh mozzarella, preferably not packed in water. Avoid the cheap variety that you find in the refrigerated section of your grocery store alongside the milk and yogurt (please don’t buy grated cheese).
Go to the special cheese section and buy the good-quality cheese. It makes a huge difference. I recommend BelGioisio mozzarella, which is widely available.
Instead of thinly slicing the cheese and placing it in large slices over your pizza, I strongly recommend cutting it into 1/2-inch cubes and sprinkling it evenly over the pizza. Alternatively, you can tear it by hand into small pieces, no thicker than 1/2-inch. This extra step helps distribute the cheese and moisture evenly.
If you can only find water-packed mozzarella: Be sure to pat the cubed mozzarella dry with paper-towels before it goes onto your pizza. Otherwise, it can leach water during the cooking process, and result in a soggier crust.
Other Margherita Pizza Toppings:
Finishing touches! Fresh torn basil, a sprinkling of freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and a little drizzle of good-quality extra virgin olive oil. Whatever you do, don’t over-do it with the toppings.
Minimalism is essential when it comes to a great pizza at home. Go forth and make pizza!!! If you want to make other variations, you’ll love this red pepper pizza. If you prefer pizzas without tomato sauce, try this arugula pizza or this mushroom pizza.
NOTE: If you want to save time (and be able to make this pizza on a weeknight, which is totally do-able!), this pizza dough can be prepared and frozen ahead of time. See the recipe notes for more details!
Best Homemade Margherita Pizza
My search for the best homemade margherita pizza (made in a standard oven with everyday ingredients) is over! This classic pizza is topped with a simple fresh pizza sauce made from canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. You’ll want to make this homemade pizza recipe over and over again.
Ingredients
Homemade Pizza Dough:
- 2 and 1/2 cups (300 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (or SAF instant yeast)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 7 ounces warm water (105 degrees F – 115 degrees F)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons semolina or all-purpose flour, for the pizza peel (divided)
Pizza Sauce:
- 1 cup pureed or crushed San Marzano (or Italian plum) canned tomatoes
- 2-3 fresh garlic cloves, minced with a garlic press
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 large pinches of kosher salt
Toppings:
- 2 – 3 tablespoons finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- 7 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (*preferably fresh mozzarella not packed in water)
- 5 – 6 large fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnishing
- crushed dried red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Pizza Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm water and olive oil, and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the dough just begins to come together. It will seem shaggy and dry, but don’t worry.
- Scrape the dough onto a well-floured counter top and knead the dough for three minutes. It should quickly come together and begin to get sticky. Dust the dough with flour as needed (sometimes I will have to do this 2 to 3 times, depending on humidity levels) – it should be slightly tacky, but should not be sticking to your counter top. After three minutes, the dough should be smooth, slightly elastic, and tacky. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil, and place the dough into the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel (or plastic wrap) and allow the dough to rise in a warm, dry area of your kitchen for 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. If your kitchen is very cold, one great tip that I do all the time is to heat a large heatproof measuring cup of water in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. This creates a nice warm environment and I’ll immediately remove the cup and place the bowl with the dough in the microwave until it has risen. [If you are preparing in advance, see the note section for freezing instructions.]
- Preheat Oven and Pizza Stone: Place the pizza stone on the center (or top third) rack of your oven, and preheat the oven and pizza stone to 550 degrees Fahrenheit (for at least 30-45 minutes). If your oven does not go up to 550 degrees, heat it to the absolute maximum temperature that it can go. If it can heat to higher than 550 degrees Fahrenheit, even better!
- As the oven is preheating, assemble the ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the pureed tomatoes, minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, pepper, and salt. Set aside another small bowl with the cubed mozzarella cheese (pat the cheese with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture). Set aside the basil leaves and grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for easy grabbing.
- Separate the dough into two equal-sized portions. It will deflate slightly, but that is OK. Place the dough on a large plate or floured counter top, cover gently with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Assemble the Pizza: Sprinkle the pizza peel (alternatively, you can use the back of a baking sheet – but it will be harder!) with a tablespoon of the cornmeal. Gently stretch one ball of pizza dough into roughly a 10-inch circle (don’t worry if its not perfectly uniform). If the dough springs back or is too elastic, allow it to rest for an additional five minutes. The edges of the dough can be slightly thicker, but make sure the center of the dough is thin (you should be able to see some light through it if you held it up). Gently transfer the dough onto the cornmeal-dusted pizza peel or baking sheet.
- Drizzle or brush the dough lightly with olive oil (teaspoon or so). Using a large spoon, add roughly 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce onto the pizza dough, leaving a 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch border on all sides. Use the back of the spoon to spread it evenly and thinly. Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmigiano-reggiano cheese onto the pizza sauce. Add half of the cubed mozzarella, distributing it evenly over the entire pizza. Using your hands, tear a few large basil leaves, and sprinkle the basil over the pizza. At this point, I’ll occasionally stretch the sides of the dough out a bit to make it even thinner. Gently slide the pizza from the peel onto the heated baking stone. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling and caramelized and the edges of the pizza are golden brown. Remove the pizza carefully from the oven with the pizza peel, transfer to a wooden cutting board or foil, drizzle the top with olive oil, some grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and chiffonade of fresh basil. Slice and serve immediately and/or prepare the second pizza.
- If you’re serving two pizzas at once, I recommend placing the cooked pizza on a separate baking sheet while you prepare the other pizza. In the last few minutes of cooking, place the prepared pizza into the oven (on a rack below the pizza stone) so that it is extra hot for serving. Otherwise, I recommend serving one pizza fresh out of the oven, keeping the oven hot, and preparing the second pizza after people have gone through the first one! The pizza will taste great either way, but it is at its prime within minutes out of the oven!.
Notes
Tips for Success:
- Semolina flour has a higher burn point than regular flour, and ensures that the dough will not stick to the peel when transferring the pizza to the oven.
- There is no need to dissolve the yeast in warm water before using (as commonly believed). Active dry yeast has been reformulated in recent years to contain significantly smaller granules and will not have trouble dissolving into the dough. However, it is important to ensure that your active dry yeast is indeed alive and well. Double check your expiration date and when in a doubt, proof it.
- If preparing the dough in advance: once the dough has rested for two hours, separate into two portions, wrap each piece of dough well in plastic wrap, and place them in a freezer-safe bag. The dough can be chilled in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or frozen for 3 months. Thaw the dough in the refrigerator, and allow it to stand at room temperature (in a greased bowl, covered with a kitchen towel) for at least 30 minutes before using.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 750 Total Fat: 29g Saturated Fat: 13g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 13g Cholesterol: 69mg Sodium: 1598mg Carbohydrates: 89g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 6g Protein: 33g
This definitely looks mouth-watering, and I do take your “best” recommendation seriously! I’ve never made pizza from scratch, though that is a task I’d like to attempt someday. I get a little intimidated with recipes call for dry yeast, etc., but I need to give it a shot, anyway! 🙂
Thanks Meg! Don’t be scared by the yeast! You don’t even have to proof the yeast for this recipe, just throw it all together in a bowl (and make sure your water is warm, and not too hot). Buy some of those little packets, promise it’s easy! 🙂
This might be a silly question but first time making this….. the dough seemed to turn out just like you explained, ( I was SO excited!)
I placed it in the bowel to raise for 2 hrs.
I unexpectedly had to leave to help a friend with a problem. The dough was left to raise for 3 to 4 hours…..have I ruined this crust recipe?
It should still work! It’s not ideal, but I don’t think it will be a problem at all. Let me know how it turns out (and there are no silly questions 🙂 )
This looks fabulous and much more appetizing than our usual “doctored” frozen pizza! Going to try this on Sunday night after doing the Peach Burrata salad on Saturday night! Great recipe, Laura, and very clearly explained, which I appreciate, particularly the note about the “second” pizza!
PS definitely dragging Dad to Naples for this pizza!
That pizza looks fabulous. I keep trying diff recipes, so this is next! Thanks
Yes! I’ve gone through a ton of them too. I REALLY hope you like this! I’m a big fan of this pizza dough recipe, and for me, it was all about nailing the toppings (and amount of toppings). Let me know if you try it!!!
Gah this is gorgeous.
And now I want pizza.
Thanks Lindsay! Hope you had a great time at the White Lily Baking Retreat! Looked like a lot of fun!
Wow, seriously 100x thank you for the free pizza making school! I was wondering about the pizza stone thing- dang nab it, I will just have to suck it up and get one. The crust on this baby looks heavenly.
Now I’m regretting that we didn’t go to Naples!! Next time. 🙂 I was pretty sure I made a damn good pizza for a long time…but now I have my doubts. Need to try this for our next pizza night!
Napoli pizza is the best!! Hands down. Loving your version girl!
Aargh! Feeling forced to make this pizza now, looks very delish!
Made this pizza today, the best pizza and crust I have made so far! Thank you Laura.
Yay! Wonderful! Thank you.
Good evening Laura! I have to say that Margherita pizza is hands down my favorite kind of pizza. Something about those simple ingredients sing to me in a heavenly way – my eyes get kind of glazed and my heart flutters (yes this is love). I am truly excited to make this. I am not readily a make your own pizza at home person, but this is inspired and beautiful. Prompt enjoyment is necessary!
I’m so excited that you are going to try it! Please let me know what you think!!! Also, my heart totally flutters when it comes to pizza too 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner and it was by far the BEST pizza I’ve ever made. SO SO good!
Yay! Oh my gosh, that makes me so happy. We’re literally making a version of this pizza almost every week 🙂
I just made this last night and it was, by far, the best pizza I’ve made at home. I used a cast iron pizza pan in the oven instead of a pizza stone and it worked great! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
Thank you so much Courtney! So thrilled to hear that! I love the cast iron pan method (haven’t done it in a while now that I own a pizza stone!). Thanks for sharing that it worked for you!!! 🙂
I have a brick oven for pizza in my backyard, would you change the dough at all or do you think the result would be the same?
OH MY PIZZA GODDESS!Made this pizza tonight for me and my husband and we are both in awe! The simplicity is genius. The only change i made, right out of the oven i covered the pizza with plenty of spinach. This is now my go-to pizza recipe FOREVER.
Amazing!!! Thanks so much for the feedback Delilah. Nothing makes me happier!
Looks yammy, however, surely you’re aware traditional Naples pizza dough can only have 4 ingredients – flour, water, yeast, salt. I.e. no sugar or oil. Cheers.
Thanks for such detailed instructions – looks great!
Hi Laura:
When you say 3€ what that means? For a regular pizza? Here in Madrid for that price you can get just a slice! I loved this post.
Best regards
Hi Ricardo! A huge pizza in Naples was just three euros and that was only a few years ago in 2013. I’m sure it varies all over the place, but pizzas in Naples were incredibly cheap!
It looks awesome, congrats 😛 I was wondering if you can put the ingredients in grams…I’m from Europe and I would love to make this recipe, but there are different measurements on sites…Thank you
Best pizza dough recipe. I was wondering how much you stretch the pizzas. Seems that when you stretch it out to have light through the center, the pizza are alot larger than two 10 inch pizzas. Great pizza! Thanks, JoeP
Just realized I never asked your question! I think I was a bit conservative – so they really do make more like 11-12 inch pizzas! You don’t want a LOT of light coming through, you just want it to be thin!
This pizza looks amazing- I’m Going to try this today! I do not have a pizza stone or peel- just a regular electric oven (I’ve been begging for a gas oven!). What do you recommend for temp and baking? Should I just heat it to 450 or higher and use a regular baking sheet? Or scale it down a bit so it doesn’t burn on the baking sheet? Thanks!
Hi Jessica! I haven’t made this particular pizza on a baking sheet – but I do know that a lot of people have success using that method – I just can’t say for sure what you should do for this pizza. Some people preheat sheet pans and turn them upside down to use as a faux pizza stone – but without a peel, it will be difficult to transfer the pizza onto it (unless you have one of those one-sided cookie sheets where you can slide things off? I would personally recommend keeping the temperature high (at least 475-500), because it will be hard to get a crispy crust otherwise – and shape the pizza into an oblong oval shape and drizzle oil on the sheet pan instead? The cooking time might also increase by a few minutes too. I hope this works for you – please let me know if it does!
Thank you for your response! I heated my oven to 450 and just baked it on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes and it was perfect! This is my new favorite recipe! Loved the San Marzano tomatoes…
I hate the taste of “cooked” sauces. Blending the tomatoes with garlic gave just the right flavor that was fresh and tasty on my homemade pizza. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Do you by chance know the calorie intake for this pizza?
Thank you!
Unfortunately, I don’t. I don’t calculate the calories on any of my recipes, because I’m not a nutritionist and most online calculators can be very inaccurate. Hope you understand!
Laura I haven’t done your pizza but regularly make my own and use a pizza stone. I have found out that if I put the cheese immediately the cheese burns because it takes longer for the pizza to cook then the cheese to melt. Normally I heat up my oven 525 with the stone inside place the pizza in the stone and when almost cooked I take it out, add the cheese and put the pizza back in.
thank you for the recipe i really love it. just one question, my crust is always a bit chewy and hard.. do you have a tip for me?
Hi… i just finished following you on FB and twitter. i am too proud to do that. I agree with you completely about your experience in Naples Italy about Margherita Pizza. for me it was in 1966 during a visit to Napoli coming from Milan where I was studying for diploma of Merit.
from now on i will be happy to post your recipes on my social media accounts :FB.. Pinterest.. Twitter ..Yummly and Tumblr.. wish you nice day
This looks absolutely fabulous. I cannot wait to try it with my husband. I still haven’t found a pizza crust recipe that we really love, so hopefully this is it. If I enjoy it, I may give it a review on my blog! Happy pizza-making!
Can’t wait to hear what you think!!
I just made this pizza on a pizza stone on my barbecue. I could NOT believe how fabulous this was. Best pizza my husband and I have ever had anywhere. Only one comment, as we are new to this, is despite putting cornmeal between the pizza and the peel, we still had trouble sliding it off onto the stone. Next time more cornmeal. A long handled metal barbecue flipper helped too.
This looks delicious! Any ideas on how many tomatoes or oz of tomatoes it takes to equal the amount from a can? I’m growing some and while i’ve only been able to harvest three so far, i’d love this to be the first recipe i use them on! thanks!
Unfortunately, I can’t offer too much specificity with regards to your question, because fresh tomatoes vary by size and density and canned tomatoes are just very different! I can’t imagine needing more than 1-2 small tomatoes (1/3 cup sauce-roughly) per pizza, if that helps, but you would most likely need to eyeball it and figure it out as you go. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I am trying this tonight and I can’t wait!
One thought is since I am paleo, I am using this dough… any thoughts or changes to it?
http://eatsomethingdelicious.com/multi-purpose-dough/
I absolutely love this recipe! My husband and I found it on Pinterest a little over a year ago and literally started making it once a week as our go- to recipe. It really is so simple that I can’t believe I waited so long to try it. And, it tastes incredible!
So thrilled to hear that! My husband and I love making homemade pizza too, and this is one of my favorite recipes on the site. Thank you so much for coming back to leave recipe feedback. I really appreciate it, and hope you’ll have a chance to stick around and check out a few of my other recipes!
I have just made a pizza using a combination of your ideas. I made the dough and the pizza sauce ad-literam. I have no stone but I’ve had the oven at the highest temperature possible (550F) and I used a glass dish.The toppings were grilled chicken breast, frozen mushrooms (mixed), asparagus (sliced), red pepper (long and thin slices), kalamata olives, cheese (feta and mild brick mozzarella), and fresh basil. It was delicious! Thank you for the ideas!
Have you ever tried making this with whole wheat flour? Any luck?
I haven’t personally made this exact recipe with whole wheat flour, but it is on my list of things to try/adapt and post! Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than all-purpose (and responds differently to yeast), so I have a feeling the quantities would need to be adjusted in order for it to be as good. Stay tuned!
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On my second go with this recipe as it looks so divine but why oh why is the water in ounces when everything else is metric? ?
Made this last night. Turned out pretty and tasted delicious!
So happy to hear that! Thanks Tara!
Can you detail how to make the tomato sauce? Do I need to peel them, etc? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Tara! The tomato sauce instructions are in the recipe. This uses canned peeled tomatoes (crushed or pureed in a food processor), so there is no need to peel anything.
If I make the dough the night before do I have to freeze it or is it okay to refrigorate it?
You could definitely refrigerate the dough and it should still come out well (I’ll test this and come back with notes for others, thanks for pointing this out!). I would just make sure to allow it to come to room temperature for at least an hour or longer so that it is not so cold for shaping. Hope this helps and please report back if you try it!
Thanks for this. My crust came out super doughy / undercooked. Any advice?
And a few nights later, the extra dough I stored in the fridge (I set it out for about 2 hours first) held its shape much better and turned out too crackery.
How did you cook the pizza? Did you change the temperature at all? Or cook it on another surface? This recipe will produce the best results at a super high temperature using a preheated baking stone – as described in the recipe and post itself. It sounds like you might have cooked it a different way or didn’t stretch the dough to be thin enough. The dough should be very thin going into the oven, as I mention in the instructions, otherwise it would absolutely be doughy.
Per your refrigerating comment, did the dough sit in your refrigerator for days? If so, that would totally change the texture, but it’s hard to say the exact culprit without more details. I don’t recommend storing the dough in the fridge for days.
Live alone. How do I freeze extra crust? What is procedure when thawing and using later? Thanks
That’s a beautiful pizza margherita!
Thanks for this!! I absolutely love making the sauce in this recipe (and so do my foodie friends – you got rave reviews!!), but I am hesitant to make the dough because I use a kitchenaid mixer for kneading and I wasn’t sure how long it should take. Have you ever made it that way? Any advice? Thanks so much in advance!
Hi there!
I have always used pizza pans with holes in them. Do you find that thus works??
Also, you use all purpose flour. WHAt about bread flour?
I don’t have, so would rather not have to buy..
Thank you out for for your input. Making this for a special night and want it to be be perfect!
Sorry for only just replying back to you! I was traveling over the past week. I have never used one of those pizza pans with holes, so I can’t really attest to how they work in comparison with other tools. However, a baking steel (or baking stone) is the BEST method for producing crispy pizzas and breads in a home oven by far. Bread flour can absolutely be used to make pizza, and many people use it for it’s higher gluten/protein content, but I wanted to develop a recipe that used flour that almost everyone already has on hand in their kitchen. Hope this helps!
This pizza was amazing. We only had cookie sheets to bake it on, but just ordered the baking steel from Amazon or next time. I’m so excited to try this again with the steel!!
*for
So thrilled to hear this! Thank you so much for your comment and feedback. It makes my day!
I”ve been making portobello mushroom pizza’s lately in an effort to cut down on my gluten intake. Used your toppings and it was the BEST one I’ve made yet! Just swapped a portobello mushroom upside down for the crust. Faster too!
I know this comment is 3 years after this original post, but I found your recipe on Pinterest and it looks AMAZING. I have a question that I hope you’ll be able to answer for me. Is it possible to use a regular metal pizza pan instead of a pizza stone or pizza steel when making this? Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
You could definitely use a regular metal pizza pan! They don’t get as hot as a pizza stone or pizza steel, but that is definitely better than a standard baking sheet. I haven’t personally tried this recipe with one (I don’t own one), but I don’t see any foreseeable problems. Hope you like it!!
Is it possible to make the dough recipe in a bread machine?! Looks soooo yummy!
Fantastic! I made one pizza as written and then one with thin salami slices in place of the basil. Both were wonderful. So easy. Thanks.
Yay! So happy to hear that!
Sadly my pizza stone cracked in half in the middle of this recipe. Never before used, and I heated it up either he oven. Do you know why this may have happened?
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that. My only thought is that you have a very thin pizza stone or it is not of great quality – because that shouldn’t happen, especially if it’s brand new. I’ve definitely heard over time that pizza stones can crack, but that is after many, many usages.
Can it be made without the stone?
It definitely can (I would use a sheet pan) – but you’ll get best results with a stone or steel. The crust will be much crispier, it will cook faster, etc. Hope this helps! If you make a lot of homemade pizzas, I recommend investing in one – it makes an enormous difference!
Can this recipe be made with all purpose gluten free flour? I have Nameste brand substituting 1:1 as per their recommendation
Hi! I’ve never personally made this recipe with gluten free flour blend. Most blends are a 1:1 substitute, but pizza is a bit more complicated. The texture will definitely be VERY different but it might be worth a shot? Sorry I can’t be more helpful! I’d have to test it myself to know for sure.
I made this last night and it came out great. Thanks so much for sharing.
I have made your pizza several times, and each time the dough did not raise. I made sure to get fresh dry active yeast and flour, use the proper temperature water and put the bowl with the dough in a warm place. I ended up just stretching the dough as much as I could for the pizzas and they were tasty, but is there anything that I may be doing wrong with the dough that I can change? Thanks.
Hi Pam, this is the first time that I’ve heard this feedback about this recipe and I’ve personally made it many times over, so I’m wondering if perhaps there is some other factor for you that is hindering the rising of the dough. Is your flour cold from the fridge? Are you using the packaged active dry yeast (just want to make sure you didn’t mean fresh yeast, but I have a feeling you meant non-expired), etc. My only other suggestion would be perhaps increase the yeast by an additional 1/4 teaspoon and leave it longer. Usually, unless your yeast is dead or killed by too hot water, it is simply a matter of time before it rises. I wish I could be more insightful! I’m going to make this dough again in the next week or so, and test once again.
I made this pizza and it was delicious! I don’t typically comment on recipes, but I felt as though I needed to let people know how flavorful the pizza was. I used Roma tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes and it worked very well. At first I was concerned with the moisture with the fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, but it was not an issue when baking. I didn’t have a pizza stone, so I turned my oven up to 500F and used the back of a cookie sheet and the bottom of the pizza was crisp. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe!
Fabulous pizza! Our whole family loved it, even the “meat eaters.” The only problem was that I didn’t double it. Thanks for the great recipe.
Followed your recipe for everything but the crust (not quite there yet). It was delicious! Will work our way up to making our crust from scratch.
So I made you sauce and it is amazing. I absolutely loved it. My question is could you heat the sauce mixture to can it? Do you think it would change it? Thanks!
Hi Janelle,
This sauce doesn’t contain enough acid for it to be canned without pressure canning (and I am *not* well versed in either form of canning in order to know whether that is safe to consume or possible). I do think cooking it would change the flavor though!
Aw, the mozzarella cheese is so perfect on the pizza, it looks super super yummy, I gotta order a pizza right now!! xD
Looks amazing and I love this recipe! I’ve made the pizza twice now and for some reason it takes more like 20mins to knead the dough and I always need more water… even though I am following the recipe correctly, any ideas why this might be?Thank you 🙂
My only thought is that you might be over-measuring the flour or it is because your kitchen/environment is very dry. Flour will always absorb water a bit differently depending on the humidity in your kitchen, but that seems like a very long time to have to knead this dough. I really recommend weighing the flour for best results, if you are not already doing so! Hope this helps!
Amazing!Made this last night for dinner…my husband stated that this was the BEST margherita pizza he has ever had…and I agree! Placed tomato slices on top and substituted with fresh burrata cheese. Patted both dry with paper towels to absorb any moisture before placement. Due to time constraints, I was not able to make the pizza dough from scratch and substituted it with a thin pizza crust package (2 – count) from the grocery store. Looking forward to the weekend so I am able to make authentic pizza dough.
I don’t usually come back to comment on recipes, but my boyfriend and I have been loving this recipe! Last time we made it, we used a basil pesto instead of tomato sauce and it was wonderful!
So happy to hear that! And really appreciate you coming back and leaving a review 🙂