Classic Margherita Pizza

A classic Neapolitan-style pizza with fresh mozzarella, basil, and a simple tomato sauce.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Margherita is the original, with just five ingredients and nowhere to hide. Tomato, mozzarella and basil, the colors of the Italian flag, on a good crust. When each element is right, it is among the best things you can eat. When any one is wrong, you notice.

The key to a pizza oven at home is heat. A pizzeria oven runs at 800 F or more. A home oven tops out around 500 F, so you need to use all of it. Preheat for a full hour with a stone or steel inside, if you have one, and the crust will puff and blister the way it should.

The other key is restraint. Too much sauce or too much cheese makes a soggy pizza. A thin layer of tomato and torn pieces of mozzarella are all you need.

Read this first

1. Preheat the oven for a full hour, at the highest setting.
2. Don’t overload the pizza. Less sauce and cheese gives a crisper crust.
3. Add the basil after baking, so it stays bright green.

Prep time: 20 mins · Cook time: 12 mins · Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 lb (store-bought or homemade) Pizza dough
• 1/2 cup Crushed tomatoes (San Marzano)
• 8 oz Fresh mozzarella cheese
• Handful Fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• To taste Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 500°F (or as hot as it will go) with a pizza stone inside if you have one. Look for: A very hot oven, and a stone that is too hot to touch.
2. Stretch the pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper or a floured peel. Look for: A round, evenly thin disc, with a slightly thicker edge and no tears.
3. Spread the crushed tomatoes evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Look for: A thin, even red layer, with a clear border of dough.
4. Tear the mozzarella into pieces and scatter over the sauce. Sprinkle with salt. Look for: Small white pieces of mozzarella, evenly spaced, with gaps in between.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Look for: A golden, blistered edge, bubbling cheese with brown spots, and a crisp base.
6. Remove from oven, top with fresh basil leaves, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Look for: Bright green basil on a glossy, bubbling pizza.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 1010
• Fat: 36g
• Saturated Fat: 14g
• Carbohydrates: 119g
• Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 11g
• Protein: 52g
• Sodium: 1820mg
• Cholesterol: 90mg

Notes

• Hot Oven Matters: The very high oven temperature mimics a pizza oven and gives the crust its char and lift in just 10-12 minutes.
• Storage: Refrigerate leftover slices for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Reheat in a skillet or hot oven rather than the microwave to keep the crust from turning soft.

Cook It With Me

Heat the oven

Preheat your oven to 500 F, or as hot as it will go, with a pizza stone or an upside-down baking sheet inside. Give it at least 30 to 45 minutes to heat all the way through. Let the dough come to room temperature during this time. It is much easier to stretch.

Stretch the dough

On a piece of parchment paper or a floured peel, stretch the 1 lb of pizza dough into a 12-inch circle. Press from the center outward with your fingertips, leaving the edge a little thicker. Avoid a rolling pin, which squashes out the air bubbles.

Add the sauce

Spoon the 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes over the dough and spread it in a thin layer, leaving a 1-inch border. A thin coat is enough. If your tomatoes are watery, drain them first.

Add the cheese

Tear the 8 oz of fresh mozzarella into small pieces and scatter them over the sauce. If the cheese is very wet, pat it dry with paper towels first. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bake

Slide the pizza, parchment and all, onto the hot stone. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned in spots. The parchment may darken at this temperature, and that is normal.

Finish

Remove the pizza from the oven. Top with the fresh basil leaves and drizzle with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Let it rest for a minute before slicing.

The Ingredients, One by One

Pizza dough

One pound, store-bought or homemade. Room temperature dough stretches easily and doesn’t spring back. Let it sit out for 30 to 60 minutes.

Crushed tomatoes

San Marzano tomatoes are sweet and low in acid, and they need little more than a pinch of salt. Don’t cook the sauce. It cooks on the pizza.

Fresh mozzarella

8 oz, torn. Fresh mozzarella is wetter than the low-moisture kind, so pat it dry. It gives you the creamy pools that make a Margherita special.

Fresh basil

Added after baking. Baked basil turns dark and bitter.

Olive oil

A good one, drizzled over the finished pizza.

Salt

A light sprinkle seasons the cheese and tomato.

The Technique Behind It

Why the oven must be so hot

A very hot stone cooks the bottom of the crust before the toppings overcook. The heat also makes the dough puff and blister.

Why you don’t use a rolling pin

It pushes out the gas bubbles that give the crust a light, airy texture.

Why less is more

Wet toppings release steam, and it softens the crust. A thin layer cooks off quickly and leaves a crisp base.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Not preheating enough The crust is pale and soft.
• Too much sauce The pizza is soggy.
• Wet mozzarella The center is watery.
• Cold dough It springs back and tears.
• Baking the basil It turns black.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Crust is soggy	Too much sauce or wet cheese	Use less and dry the cheese.
Crust is pale	Oven not hot enough	Preheat longer and use a stone.
Dough tears	Cold or overstretched	Let it rest and stretch gently.
Pizza sticks	Not enough flour	Use a floured peel or parchment.
Cheese is rubbery	Overbaked	Bake for less time.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Pizza dough	Base	Naan or flatbread work for a quick version.
Crushed tomatoes	Sauce	Passata works.
Fresh mozzarella	Cheese	Low-moisture mozzarella works.
Fresh basil	Herb	Arugula works.
Olive oil	Finish	Chili oil works.

Plan Ahead

• Make ahead: Make the dough a day ahead. A cold rise improves flavor.
• Fridge: Leftover pizza keeps 3 days.
• Reheat: In a hot skillet to crisp the bottom.
• Freezer: Not recommended.

What to Serve With It

Serve with a simple arugula salad and a glass of red wine. A pinch of chili flakes on top is good.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.