Pizza Margherita

Name: Pizza Margherita
Yield: One 30 cm pizza
Ingredients: 340–350 g Prepared, chilled pizza dough Use any included pizza dough; these topping recipes use 350 g; as needed White flour Dust counter and peel; 85 g Smooth Red Sauce; 113 g Fresh whole-milk mozzarella Drain; pieces no more than 1.3 cm thick; 6–8 Basil leaves; a drizzle Extra-virgin olive oil Optional; to taste Fine-flake sea salt and chile flakes Optional

Makes: One 30 cm pizza
Heat: 274°C bake; 260°C if oven maximum; optional broil
Baking time: About 5 min bake + 2–3 min broil per pizza; longer at 260°C

Preheat the stone about 45 min. Watch broiling continuously and use rated equipment; without broiling, keep baking to doneness.

Stone pizza

Pizza Margherita

Pizza Margherita.

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Ingredients

Group	Ingredient	Amount	Preparation
Base	Prepared, chilled pizza dough	340–350 g	Use any included pizza dough; these topping recipes use 350 g
Handling	White flour	as needed	Dust counter and peel
Topping	Smooth Red Sauce	85 g
Topping	Fresh whole-milk mozzarella	113 g	Drain; pieces no more than 1.3 cm thick
Topping	Basil leaves	6–8
Finish	Extra-virgin olive oil	a drizzle	Optional
Finish	Fine-flake sea salt and chile flakes	to taste	Optional

Tools & alternatives

Utensil checklist

Tick the tools you have ready. Choose the recommended tool or its workaround; keep the specified pan size and heat rating.

Recommended Tools Regular Baker	Casual Baker Workarounds Hacks
Digital kitchen scale	Borrow a suitable scale for the gram amounts. Use measuring cups only where a volume is provided; fluff flour, spoon it in and level without packing.
Broiler-rated pizza stone	Borrow a stone or steel explicitly rated for the recipe’s broiler setting. A regular tray or glass dish is not an equivalent here.
Peel	Use a clean rimless metal baking sheet for sliding dough. Keep any parchment within its temperature rating.
Tongs	Use sturdy heat-resistant kitchen tongs or a broad spatula that supports the food securely.
Cutting board	Use a clean, stable chopping board; place a damp cloth underneath to prevent slipping.

Timing & recipe details

Time & temperature

Baking temperature: 274°C bake; 260°C if oven maximum; optional broil
Baking time: About 5 min bake + 2–3 min broil per pizza; longer at 260°C

Preheat the stone about 45 min. Watch broiling continuously and use rated equipment; without broiling, keep baking to doneness.

Makes: One 30 cm pizza
Heat: 274°C bake + watched broil finish; use 260°C if oven maximum
Plan for: About 50–60 minutes after dough is ready

Prepare first · Same-day pizza dough · Smooth tomato sauce

Method

01 · Heat stone
About 45 minutes total
Use: Pizza stone and oven
Set stone about 20 cm below broiler. Preheat to 274°C (or the oven’s lower maximum), then keep heating the stone 30 minutes more. If both oven and stone permit it, use broil for the final 3–5 minutes, then return to bake before loading.
Ready when: Stone is thoroughly heated; use only equipment-rated settings.
01 Heat stoneHeat the stone thoroughly before loading the pizza.
02 · Stretch cold dough
A few minutes
Use: Chilled dough, dusting flour
Flour counter, peel and both faces of the dough. Press the centre while preserving a 2.5 cm rim. Lift at the rim, let gravity stretch, then rotate gently over closed fists to about 30 cm. Patch small tears. Lay on peel and test that it slides.
Ready when: Thin, even centre with a continuous airy rim; no sticking.
02 Stretch cold doughStretch gently, keeping the centre thin and the rim intact.
03 · Top
Immediately before baking
Use: Listed topping ingredients
Spread sauce thinly, then distribute mozzarella and basil. Test sliding again.
Ready when: Even coverage, leaving about 2.5 cm of rim.
03 TopUse a modest, even layer of toppings, keeping the raised rim clear.
04 · Bake + finish
About 7–8 minutes at 274°C; longer at 260°C
Use: Topped pizza
Return oven to bake and slide pizza onto stone. Bake about 5 minutes, then, if allowed, broil 2–3 minutes while watching continuously. If broiling is unavailable, keep baking to the same visual endpoint. Lift to check the bottom.
Ready when: Firm browned underside, coloured rim, toppings cooked; stop before burning.
04 Bake + finishBake until the rim is browned, the topping is cooked and the underside is firm.
05 · Serve
Immediately
Use: Baked pizza
Transfer to board; drizzle optional oil, slice and serve with optional salt and chile flakes.
Ready when: Cut on a wooden board; allow molten cheese to cool enough to eat.
05 ServeTransfer the baked pizza to a board, then slice and serve.

What to look for

Stage	Look and feel	Needs attention
Before launch	Pizza slides with a short peel shake; topping layer is light.	A loaded pizza stuck to the peel.
Finish	Mozzarella just melted, rim browned, underside firm.	Baking until mozzarella separates into pools of oil.

Troubleshooting

If you see	Likely cause	What to do now	Next time
Pizza sticks to peel	Damp dough, too little dusting, or too much time after topping	Gently lift the sticking area and dust underneath; test sliding again before launching.	Prepare toppings first, work quickly, and test the bare dough then the topped pizza.
Top burns before base sets	Stone underheated or broiler used too early	Stop broiling and continue baking while watching the bottom.	Heat the stone thoroughly; finish the top only after the base begins to set.

Recipe notes

Adjust the bake to the oven temperature: at 316°C, total baking may be only 4–5 minutes and broiling may be unnecessary. Do not apply a fixed 5-minute bake plus 2-minute broil at that temperature. Follow the stone and oven manufacturer’s limits; the 274°C sequence is the working default.

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