Prep Time:  30-40 mins
Cook Time:  5-10 mins
Total Time:  45 mins
Servings:  4-6

In this recipe, you'll learn how to make pizza margherita from scratch! We start out by making the homemade pizza dough, then while that rises we'll make a simple and delicious pizza margherita sauce.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Pizza Dough

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1½ tsp active dry yeast
  • 4 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 2 tsp coarse salt
  • Enough corn meal to coat pizza peel and stone (prevents sticking)

Ingredients for Pizza Toppings

  • 1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
  • Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Ingredients for Pizza Sauce

  • One 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 cloves garlic paste
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • ½ cup fresh basil, rough chopped
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • Coarse salt, to taste

Items You'll Need

Instructions

Instructions for Pizza Dough

  1. In a mixing bowl, blend mineral water, yeast, and honey.
  2. Allow yeast mixture to proof for 10 minutes.
  3. While that happens, in another mixing bowl, whisk together salt and bread flour.
  4. Once yeast has proofed for 10 minutes, make a well in the center of your flour mix, and pour in the liquid.
  5. Use your hand to mix the flour into the liquid.
  6. Depending on the humidity of your area, you might need to add a splash of water, or a little flour to reach the doughy consistency.
  7. Once you have the right consistency, turn everything out onto a well floured work area.
  8. Work the dough for 5-8 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
    9. Pizza dough ball in clear pyrex bowl
  9. Coat dough ball in olive oil, place in bowl to rise covered with a damp towel. Allow it to rise until doubled in size in a warm area for about an hour, or you can allow it to slow rise in the fridge inside a ziplock bag for up to 2 days.

    Instructions for Pizza Prep & Cook

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients, stir well and set aside for assembling pizza.
  2. Once dough has doubled in size, remove from bowl to a well floured area.
  3. Cut dough ball into 2 smaller dough balls, this will make two 12-inch round pizzas.
  4. If your dough rose in the fridge, make sure it comes to room temp before attempting to press out.
  5. Press dough out from center, until it forms a thin pizza crust.
  6. On a pizza peel, sprinkle some cornmeal, place pizza dough onto peel.
    7. Sprinkling cheese chunks onto pizza on pizza peel
  7. Spread a thin layer of sauce onto pizza, top with chopped mozzarella.
  8. Preheat your pizza oven to reach 650-700°F.
  9. Sprinkle cornmeal on your pizza stone, place pizza in oven.
  10. Turn your pizza about every 45 seconds, the Alfresco Pizza Oven will cook it quickly, so keep an eye on it!
  11. Once pizza sauce is bubbling, cheese is melted, and crust is golden brown, remove pizza to cutting board.
  12. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
    13. slice of hot margherita pizza on butcher board