authentic pizza margherita

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 pinch white sugar
• 1/4 cup flour for dusting
• 2 cups pizza sauce
• 20 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• 20 leaves fresh basil
• olive oil
• sea salt to taste

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 45 mins


• stir flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. set aside.
• mix water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. let stand until yeast begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• stir half the flour mixture into yeast mixture until no dry spots remain. stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. when dough pulls together, turn it out a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• lightly oil a large bowl, then place dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees f (27 to 35 degrees c)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. punch dough down, divide into 4 equal pieces, and form each into a ball.
• preheat oven with a pizza stone to 500 degrees f (260 degrees c).
• stretch out and pat 1 dough ball to form a circle 10 to 12 inches in diameter. place dough on a lightly floured pizza peel. top with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and spread to cover within an inch of the edge of the dough. arrange 5 slices of mozzarella cheese on top of the tomato sauce, then place 5 basil leaves on top. drizzle pizza with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt to taste. repeat for 3 remaining dough balls.
• slide each pizza the pizza stone in the preheated oven. bake until cheese is bubbly and the underside of the crust is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.