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Margherita Pizza with fresh mozzarella cheese combines homemade pizza dough with the classic and comforting taste of tomatoes, garlic, and basil. A crisp, bright, and cheesy pizza!
The classic flavors and fresh ingredients of Margherita Pizza are inviting and satisfying to guests of all ages. I love that you can serve this pizza as an appetizer, main course, or even as part of a larger family-style Italian-inspired meal! Good ingredients are essential to this simple recipe, so fresh mozzarella cheese and basil are a must (and they stay authentic to this classic Italian pizza).
Making the homemade pizza sauce using canned tomatoes and spices is simple and quick, and yields a much better tasting pizza than using premade sauce. Involve your family or guests in layering on the pizza toppings for an engaging time together in the kitchen. For a family pizza night, make a double or triple batch of pizza dough and build a few different types of pizza to sample! For more pizza recipes, try my cheese pizza, stromboli, and tomato pizza recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Pizza Dough – this pizza is made with one recipe of my homemade pizza dough divided into two smaller portions. You can use a store-bought dough if you are short on time.
San Marzano tomatoes – one large can of San Marzano tomatoes is combined with spices to make the sauce for this recipe. Crush the tomatoes using your hands to break up the larger pieces.
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – what makes this Margherita pizza is that it uses fresh mozzarella, not low-moisture shredded mozzarella. The best fresh mozzarella for this recipe is one that is not packed in water or brine because it will add too much moisture. Cut the cheese into small cubes before sprinkling on the pizza.
Fresh Basil – fresh basil adds color and flavor, and gives this dish its signature appearance. Store fresh basil at room temperature with the stems in a cup of cool water, as the herb wilts when refrigerated.
How to Make Margherita Pizza
1. Place a pizza stone or steel on the top rack of the oven, about 6 inches away from the top heating element. Preheat the oven to 550°F for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl using your hands, crush the tomatoes until broken into small pieces. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper, and set the sauce aside.
2. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and shape into loose balls. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and the dough rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Dust the work surface and dough lightly with flour. Stretch each portion into a 10-inch round.
3. Working one at a time, spoon half of the sauce, about 1/2 cup, and spread it in an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border from the edge.
4. Top evenly with half of the cheese.
5. Place the pizza in the oven using a pizza peel or a rimless baking sheet.
6. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Repeat with the remaining dough, sauce, and cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and top with basil before serving.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Preheat the oven with the pizza stone inside. For wood-fired pizza taste that has a more crisp than chewy crust, preheat the oven with the pizza stone or pizza steel on the top rack with the rack positioned about 6 inches from the heating element. Thoroughly preheating both the oven and stone or steel will result in a crispy crust, melty cheese, and pizza-parlor flavor.
- Pizza stone alternative. If you don’t have a pizza stone or steel, you can place a heavy-duty large rimmed baking sheet upside down and use the flat surface for baking the pizza. Or, simply shape and bake it on a pizza pan for less crisp but still delicious results.
- Don’t have a pizza peel? Use a flat baking or cookie sheet (one without a rim) and lightly dust it with semolina flour or fine cornmeal before shaping the crust.
- Squeeze the tomatoes to break up larger pieces. Using your hands, squeeze the canned tomatoes to break up any larger pieces and then mix in the spices. You don’t need a food processor, but you do want to make sure the larger tomatoes are broken up and no large chunks remain. Use a large bowl if your kids are getting involved in this step to prevent splashing.
- Use your hands to stretch and form the crust. No rolling pin is needed for this recipe! On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to stretch each of the dough balls into a 10-inch round crust. Don’t worry if the shape is irregular or if it is more of an oval than a circle!
- Build the pizza just before baking. Due to how thin the dough is, you don’t want to pre-build your pizzas too far in advance because the dampness of the toppings will cause the dough to soften, making it difficult to get on the peel. Instead, build each pizza just before you place it in the oven.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil. Just before serving, drizzle the hot pizza with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle fresh basil leaves on top for a tasty and stunning garnish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven until the cheese is melty and bubbly. To freeze, wrap the pizza in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and reheat from frozen in the oven until the cheese melts.
This dish can be served as an appetizer, a side for a larger meal, or a main course. As an appetizer, serve with stuffed mushrooms or spinach artichoke dip. For a larger family-style Italian-inspired meal, serve the pizza alongside baked ziti or lasagna.
A distinct characteristic of Margherita pizza is the use of fresh mozzarella cheese instead of shredded mozzarella cheese. It is often said that the Margherita pizza is also unique from other types of pizza because it is the colors of the Italian flag with red tomatoes, white fresh mozzarella cheese, and green fresh basil.
If you’ve tried this Margherita pizza recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Margherita Pizza
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Pizza stone or baking steel
- Pizza peel or cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole San Marzano tomatoes (286g from a 28-ounce can)
- 3 garlic cloves minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 recipe Homemade pizza dough
- Semolina or all-purpose flour for dusting
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella (not packed in water), cut into cubes (226 g)
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place a pizza stone or steel on top rack of oven, about 6 inches away from the top heating element. Preheat the oven to 550°F for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl using your hands, crush the tomatoes until broken into small pieces. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper, and set the sauce aside.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and shape into loose balls. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Dust the work surface and dough lightly with flour. Stretch each portion into a 10-inch round. Working one at a time, spoon half of the sauce (about ½ cup), and spread in an even layer leaving a ½-inch border from the edge. Top evenly with half of the cheese. Place pizza in the oven using a pizza peel or a rimless baking sheet.
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly. Repeat with the remaining dough, sauce, and cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and top with basil before serving.
Notes
- Preheat the oven with the pizza stone inside. For wood-fired pizza taste that has a more crisp than chewy crust, preheat the oven with the pizza stone or pizza steel on the top rack with the rack positioned about 6 inches from the heating element. Thoroughly preheating both the oven and stone or steel will result in a crispy crust, melty cheese, and pizza-parlor flavor.
- Pizza stone alternative. If you don’t have a pizza stone or steel, you can place a heavy-duty large rimmed baking sheet upside down and use the flat surface for baking the pizza. Or, simply shape and bake it on a pizza pan for less crisp but still delicious results.
- Don’t have a pizza peel? Use a flat baking or cookie sheet (one without a rim) and lightly dust it with semolina flour or fine cornmeal before shaping the crust.
- Squeeze the tomatoes to break up larger pieces. Using your hands, squeeze the canned tomatoes to break up any larger pieces and then mix in the spices. You don’t need a food processor, but you do want to make sure the larger tomatoes are broken up and no large chunks remain. Use a large bowl if your kids are getting involved in this step to prevent splashing.
- Use your hands to stretch and form the crust. No rolling pin is needed for this recipe! On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to stretch each of the dough balls into a 10-inch round crust. Don’t worry if the shape is irregular or if it is more of an oval than a circle!
- Build the pizza just before baking. Due to how thin the dough is, you don’t want to pre-build your pizzas too far in advance because the dampness of the toppings will cause the dough to soften, making it difficult to get on the peel. Instead, build each pizza just before you place it in the oven.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil. Just before serving, drizzle the hot pizza with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle fresh basil leaves on top for a tasty and stunning garnish.
Nutrition
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