Craving that blistered crust, creamy mozzarella, and basil perfume without booking a flight to Naples? You’re in the right kitchen. We’re talking real-deal Pizza Margherita—simple ingredients, huge payoff, and a crust that crackles when you cut it. Ready to level up pizza night and make your oven feel like a tiny pizzeria?
1. The Neapolitan Dough That Makes The Whole Pizza Sing
This is the heart of Pizza Margherita Napoli: a soft, elastic dough with a puffy cornicione and leopard-spot char. It’s slow-risen, super flavorful, and ridiculously forgiving if you follow a few rules. Make it the day before and you’ll flex pizzaiolo energy like a pro.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups (500 g) 00 flour (or 3 cups 00 + 1 cup bread flour)
- 1 1/2 cups (360 g) cool water (about 68–72°F/20–22°C)
- 2 tsp (10 g) fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) instant yeast (or 1 tsp active dry, bloomed)
- 1 tsp (5 g) extra-virgin olive oil (optional, for suppleness)
- Semolina or flour for dusting
Instructions:
- Whisk water and salt in a large bowl until dissolved. Sprinkle in yeast, then add flour gradually while mixing with your hand or a spoon until shaggy.
- Rest the dough 15 minutes. Knead 5–7 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky. Add olive oil if you want a touch more tenderness.
- Cover and rest 20 minutes. Perform 2–3 stretch-and-folds every 20 minutes to build strength.
- Transfer to a lightly oiled container, cover, and cold ferment 18–24 hours in the fridge.
- Divide into 3 balls (about 270–280 g each). Tuck edges under to create tension. Proof at room temp 2–3 hours until puffy.
Keep your dough soft and avoid excess flour when shaping. You want that classic Neapolitan tenderness, not a dusty flatbread. FYI: patience with fermentation equals flavor—don’t rush the rise.
2. San Marzano Sauce You Don’t Even Need To Cook
The best Margherita sauce tastes like ripe tomatoes and sunshine. No simmering. No sugar. Just pure, bright flavor that caramelizes in the oven and clings to the crust like it was born there.
Ingredients:
- 1 can (28 oz/800 g) whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes (DOP if possible)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (to taste)
- 1–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, smashed (optional)
- 1–2 leaves fresh basil (optional)
Instructions:
- Drain tomatoes briefly, reserving liquid. Crush by hand or pulse in a blender 2–3 times for a rustic sauce.
- Stir in salt, olive oil, and the garlic clove. Add basil if you like a whisper of herbiness.
- Taste and adjust salt. The sauce should taste fresh, bright, and slightly sweet naturally.
- Chill until you’re ready to assemble pizzas. Thin with reserved juice if needed; the sauce should gently flow off a spoon.
Don’t overblend or you’ll lose tomato texture. And keep it uncooked—your oven will do the heavy lifting, IMO, better than any stovetop simmer for this style.
3. The Margherita Classic: Leopard-Spotted Crust, Creamy Mozz, Basil Confetti
This is the headliner. A thin center, lofty edges, and that holy trinity of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Perfect for date night, game night, or any night you want the house to smell like Naples.
Ingredients:
- 1 prepared Neapolitan dough ball (from Recipe 1)
- 1/3–1/2 cup San Marzano sauce (from Recipe 2)
- 4–5 oz (115–140 g) fresh mozzarella (fior di latte or buffalo), well-drained
- 6–8 leaves fresh basil
- 1–2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine semolina or flour for launching
- Kosher salt, pinch
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven as hot as it goes (500–550°F/260–290°C) with a steel or stone on the top rack for 45–60 minutes. Broiler on for the last 5 minutes if safe. Pizza oven? Preheat to 800–900°F (425–480°C).
- Pat mozzarella dry and tear into cherry-sized pieces. You want minimal moisture.
- Dust your work surface lightly. Press dough from the center outward, leaving a 1-inch rim. Lift and stretch over your knuckles until 10–12 inches wide. No rolling pin—protect the air bubbles.
- Transfer to a floured peel. Spread a thin layer of sauce with a spiral motion, leaving the rim bare.
- Scatter mozzarella evenly. Add a pinch of salt and a few basil leaves.
- Launch onto the steel/stone. Bake 6–8 minutes in a home oven (rotate once), or 60–90 seconds in a pizza oven, until puffed and spotted. Broil the last minute for extra char if needed.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil. Rest 1 minute, then slice.
Worried about soggy bottoms? Keep toppings light and dough cold until shaping. For extra insurance, preheat a steel (not stone) and use the broiler blast at the end—seriously, it’s clutch.
4. Buffalo Bliss: Margherita Di Bufala With Silky Cheese Upgrade
Want to flex? Swap cow’s milk mozzarella for buffalo mozzarella and watch the flavor turn lush and tangy. It’s rich, delicate, and absolutely worth the splurge when guests come over.
Ingredients:
- 1 prepared Neapolitan dough ball
- 1/3 cup San Marzano sauce
- 4–5 oz (115–140 g) mozzarella di bufala, drained and gently patted dry
- 6–8 leaves fresh basil
- 1–2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, tiny pinch
Instructions:
- Preheat as in the classic recipe. Prep your peel and workspace.
- Shape the dough into a 10–12 inch round. Keep that airy rim intact.
- Spread sauce thinly. Tear buffalo mozzarella into small pieces and distribute lightly.
- Launch and bake until the crust blisters and cheese melts but doesn’t weep excessively, about 6–8 minutes (or 60–90 seconds in a pizza oven).
- Add basil and a delicate drizzle of olive oil. Rest 1–2 minutes before slicing.
Buffalo mozz holds more moisture, so dry it well and avoid overloading. If it releases liquid during baking, blot lightly with a paper towel mid-bake when you rotate. You’ll keep the center tender, not soupy.
5. Weeknight Margherita Hack: Sheet-Pan Style Without The Fancy Gear
No pizza steel? No problem. This shortcut nails the spirit of Margherita with a crispy base, chewy crumb, and that iconic flavor—perfect when you want pizza now, not later.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (450 g) store-bought pizza dough or 1 homemade dough ball
- 1/2 cup San Marzano sauce
- 6 oz (170 g) fresh mozzarella, patted dry and sliced
- 8–10 leaves fresh basil
- 1–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Place an inverted sheet pan on the middle rack to preheat, or use a standard sheet pan lightly oiled.
- Stretch the dough on parchment into a 10×12-inch oval/rectangle. Brush the rim with a touch of olive oil.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce, add mozzarella, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Slide the parchment and dough onto the hot inverted pan. Bake 12–15 minutes until golden and bubbling. Broil 1 minute if you want more char.
- Finish with torn basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Cool 2 minutes, then slice.
Want extra crunch? Dust the dough underside with a little semolina. Short on basil? Add a few drops of pesto post-bake for that herb kick—don’t come at me, it’s delicious.
There you go: five ways to bring Pizza Margherita Napoli into your kitchen and onto your plate. Start with the dough and sauce, then mix and match the bakes depending on your gear and mood. Your next pizza night just went from “meh” to “mamma mia,” trust me.