A fresh and easy pizza recipe is my absolute fave, especially when I’m not feeling too creative and just want to make something for dinner that will end up in all my kids bellies. This is my go-to dough recipe that I use for basically all my pizzas, my mom passed it down to us and I believe her mother in law showed her how to make it. So, it’s basically a legacy now. This sauce is so good, too. I think homemade sauce is so easy and cheap there’s really no need to ever buy the canned stuff. And I currently have an ABUNDANCE of basil because my basil plant is flourishing.. I’ve never had much of a green thumb so I’m pretty shocked it’s even still alive, lol. But here we are.. so basil is the herb I’m using in all my recipes at the moment. Hope you love this pizza and make it stat so you can tell me how it went. Enjoy!
Simple Margherita Pizza
Course: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy6
servings1
hour20
minutesIngredients
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tablespoon active yeast
1 egg
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
4-5 cups all-purpose flour
4 cloves garlic
1 14.5 oz can diced, herbed tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
dash of fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced and whole
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
8 oz fresh mozarella, sliced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- In stand mixer with dough hook attached, add 1/2 cup warm water and sugar. Let dissolve and add yeast. Wait 10 minutes or until frothy, then add egg, olive oil and salt. Mix gently. Slowly add the flour, one cup at a time, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of water as needed, to keep dough from becoming too dry. Mix dough on low for 5-7 minutes and transfer to a greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. In blender or food processor, add garlic and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add tomatoes and juices, olive oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and process until it has reached a desired consistency.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Then, punch dough down and divide into two equal pieces. On floured surface, roll out each ball of dough into a 10-12 inch oval shape. Prepare baking trays by lining with parchment paper and dusting with cornmeal or flour.
- Place the rolled out dough onto the parchment sheets and brush with olive oil. Spread sauce evenly over dough. Top pizza with mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes and basil (reserve a few sprigs of fresh basil for serving).
- Bake pizzas for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and edges of crust are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Garnish with fresh basil and a sprinkle of ground pepper and serve!