Italien · Hauptgericht · Mittel
Pizza Margherita
Tomato, fior di latte and basil on a blistered, chewy crust from a home oven
A Neapolitan-style pizza topped with raw crushed tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, basil and olive oil. A slow two-stage rise and a baking steel heated for a full hour at the oven's maximum give a puffy, charred rim in about 7 minutes.
- Energie
- 865 kcalpro Portion
- Vorbereitung
- 30 Min.
- Kochen
- 1 Std. 20 Min.
- Ruhen
- 6 Std.
- Eiweiß
- 37 g
Wie war's?
Küchengeräte
- Digital scale
- Large mixing bowl or stand mixer with dough hook
- Baking steel or pizza stone
- Pizza peel
- Tray and damp cloth for the dough balls
- Sieve
- Infrared thermometer (optional)
Bevor du anfängst
- Weigh all the dough ingredients before you start.
- Plan the timing: mix the dough about 7 hours before you want to eat.
- Clear the top part of the oven and position the rack 15 cm below the grill.
- Pick the basil leaves and keep them under a damp paper towel.
Zubereitung
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Mix the dough
600 g type 00 flour390 ml water14 g fine sea salt2 g instant dried yeastStir the yeast into the water. Add the flour and mix by hand or with a dough hook on low speed until no dry flour remains, then add the salt and mix 1 minute more.
Fertig, wenn A shaggy, sticky dough with no dry patches; it clings to your fingers.
Tipp Add the salt after the flour so it does not touch the yeast directly.
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Knead
Knead on a clean, unfloured worktop for 10 minutes (or 6–8 minutes on medium-low speed in a mixer).
Fertig, wenn The dough is smooth and springy; a small piece stretched between your fingers turns thin enough to let light through without tearing.
Tipp Resist adding flour. The stickiness disappears as the gluten develops.
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First rise
Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave at room temperature (20–24 °C) for 2 hours.
Fertig, wenn The dough has grown by about half, the surface is domed and a few bubbles show at the sides of the bowl.
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Shape the balls
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Fold each piece under itself several times to make a tight, smooth ball.
Fertig, wenn The balls are taut with a smooth skin on top and a seam underneath; they hold their shape instead of slumping.
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Second rise
Set the balls on a floured tray, well apart, cover with a damp cloth or an upturned container and leave at room temperature for 4–6 hours.
Fertig, wenn The balls have roughly doubled, look soft and puffy, and a fingertip pressed in leaves a dent that springs back slowly.
Tipp If the dent springs back at once, give them another 30–60 minutes. If it does not spring back at all, bake soon: they are close to over-proofed.
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Heat the steel or stone
Put the baking steel or stone on a rack about 15 cm below the grill and heat the oven at its highest setting (usually 250–290 °C) for 45–60 minutes.
Fertig, wenn An infrared thermometer reads at least 260 °C on the steel, or a pinch of semolina tossed on it browns within 10 seconds.
Tipp A short preheat is the main reason home pizza comes out pale and soft. The steel needs the full time to store heat.
270 °C · 518 °F -
Prepare the tomatoes
400 g whole peeled plum tomatoes2 g fine sea saltCrush the tomatoes by hand in a bowl, removing any hard cores, and stir in the salt. Do not cook the sauce.
Fertig, wenn A loose, chunky purée with no whole pieces bigger than a fingernail.
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Drain the mozzarella
400 g fior di latte mozzarellaTear the mozzarella into 2 cm pieces and leave them in a sieve over a bowl for at least 30 minutes.
Fertig, wenn The pieces feel damp, not dripping, when you squeeze one gently.
Tipp Wet mozzarella floods the pizza and leaves the centre soggy.
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Stretch the base
30 g semolinaDust the worktop with semolina. Press one ball out from the centre with your fingertips, leaving a 1.5 cm rim untouched, then stretch it over your knuckles to 28–30 cm.
Fertig, wenn The centre is thin enough to see the light faintly through it and the rim stays thick and puffy. No tears.
Tipp Never use a rolling pin: it pushes the gas out of the rim and the crust does not rise.
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Top the pizza
400 g whole peeled plum tomatoes400 g fior di latte mozzarella2 EL extra-virgin olive oilSlide the base onto a semolina-dusted peel. Spread a quarter of the tomatoes thinly with the back of a spoon, scatter a quarter of the mozzarella and drizzle with a little oil.
Fertig, wenn Tomato reaches to the rim but not over it, and you can still see red between the pieces of cheese. A shake of the peel moves the pizza freely.
Tipp Work fast: a topped base left on the peel for more than 2 minutes starts to stick.
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Bake
Slide the pizza onto the steel with a quick jerk of the peel. Bake for 6–8 minutes, switching the grill to high for the last 1–2 minutes if your oven allows.
Fertig, wenn The rim is puffed and blistered with dark spots, the cheese bubbles and the underside is browned and crisp when you lift an edge.
270 °C · 518 °F -
Finish and repeat
12 Blätter basil2 EL extra-virgin olive oilLift the pizza onto a board, scatter a quarter of the basil and add a thread of oil. Let the steel reheat for 5 minutes before baking the next one.
Fertig, wenn The basil wilts slightly and smells sweet; the oil glistens on the hot cheese.
Typische Fehler
The crust is pale and bready.
Lösung The steel was not hot enough. Preheat at the oven's maximum for at least 45 minutes and finish under the grill.
The centre is soggy.
Lösung Too much tomato or wet mozzarella. Spread the tomato thinly and drain the mozzarella for 30 minutes.
The pizza sticks to the peel.
Lösung Too little semolina, or the pizza sat too long. Dust the peel well, top quickly and shake the peel before launching.
The dough tears or keeps shrinking back.
Lösung It is under-proofed or too cold. Let the balls rest another 30 minutes at room temperature before stretching.
Servieren
Cut into 6 slices and eat straight away, one pizza per person. Bake one at a time and serve each as it comes out; a rocket salad with lemon on the side balances it well.
Aufbewahren und Aufwärmen
Pizza is best fresh. Leftover slices keep 2 days in the fridge, covered; reheat in a dry frying pan over medium heat with a lid for 4–5 minutes. Unbaked dough balls freeze for up to 1 month; thaw in the fridge overnight and leave 2 hours at room temperature before stretching.
Vorbereiten
For better flavour, after shaping the balls put them in the fridge, covered, for 24–48 hours instead of the 4–6 hour room-temperature rise. Take them out 2–3 hours before baking.
Varianten
Overnight cold dough
Use 1 g of instant yeast, skip the 2-hour first rise, shape the balls straight away and refrigerate 24–48 hours. The crust is more aromatic and blisters more evenly.
Buffalo margherita
Use mozzarella di bufala and add it for the last 2 minutes of baking only; it is wetter and melts faster.
Vegan
Replace the mozzarella with a vegan mozzarella that melts, or top with thin slices of garlic, oregano and extra oil for a pizza marinara.
