Thin crisp crust, homemade marinara, fresh mozzarella and sweet basil give this Margherita Pizza its delicious stamp of Italian authenticity!
So I’ve been waiting for just the right moment to bring you guys a delicious pizza when I stumbled upon International Day of Italian Cuisines.
Are you kidding me?!
First of all, why has it taken me this long to know that such a day exists? The IDIC is celebrating its 10 year anniversary and I am just now coming to the party?! Well, better late than never I always say. Actually, I rarely say that – but for this – it’s perfectly acceptable!
What is this day, you ask? Sources say that this is the day of Italian culinary pride.
Every year, on January 17th, Italian restaurants around the world cook one of the most famous, and often feigned, Italian dishes. Designed to preserve and promote classic quality Italian recipes, the day is meant to educate consumers on authentic Italian food. It has celebrated everything from Spaghetti alla Carbonara to Pesto Genovese, Tiramisù to Ossobuco in Gremolata alla Milanese, to name a few.
This year it’s all about the Margherita Pizza! Pizza done well. Done authentically. Done deliciously.
- Thin crispy crust
- Homemade marinara
- Fresh mozzarella
- Sweet basil
I’m sharing an authentic Italian pizza dough using ’00’ flour, topped with my homemade marinara, fresh sweet basil and creamy mozzarella.
This is Margherita Pizza at its finest!
I must say though, Dom and I had the incredible fortune of eating authentic Italian pizza in Italy a few years ago (which you can read about in a post from 2013 called Pizza Man Delivers) and man oh man – I still remember it. The first word that comes to mind is pure. Each layer of flavor as fresh and honest as you can imagine flavors to be.
Don’t you just love the idea of Margherita Pizzas coming out of ovens all across the land?
Speaking of ovens…
- If you are using an outdoor pizza oven, preheat the oven until the stone temperature reaches 900F. With a lightly dusted pizza peel, launch the pizza and bake for 60 – 90 seconds, rotating as needed. For more information on the best pizza ovens, and creative recipe ideas, I recommend checking out Pala Pizza.
I don’t know about you but I’m hungry!
Let’s get cooking!
Buon Appetito!
Print
Authentic Margherita Pizza
- Category: Dinner
Ingredients
- Pizza Dough
- 1 1/3 cups warm water
- 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
- 3.5 cups Type “00” flour
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- Marinara Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 56 oz. San Marzano Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. dried basil
- 1 Tbsp.dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 6 oz. fresh mozzarella (in liquid) thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup basil leaves
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add water and yeast. Stir until yeast is fully combined.
- On the counter, pour the flour and form it into the shape of a volcano.
- Create a large well in the center.
- Add the water, olive oil, salt and sugar.
- Slowly combine the flour with the wet mixture until it becomes fully incorporated.
- Knead the dough keeping the surface floured until it’s soft and no longer sticky for 10-15 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.
- Place the dough into a large oiled bowl making sure the entire ball is coated in the olive oil.
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place at room temperature until doubled, 2 – 3 hours.
- Place a pizza stone in the oven. Preheat to 500 F, allowing the stone to get hot.
- In the meantime, in a large heavy-bottomed pot, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil, onions and garlic.
- Sauté over low heat for about ten minutes until the onions and garlic are soft.
- Pour crushed tomatoes in the pot, add the herbs, salt and pepper.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes.
- When dough is doubled in size remove towel and punch down.
- Transfer to a floured surface and let it rest for a couple minutes.
- In the meantime, carefully remove the pizza stone from the oven.
- The dough can make four small pizzas (if using a stone) or two large pizzas (if using a larger pan). Pat out evenly and stretch to the size you want.
- Place dough on pizza stone (or in a lightly oiled pan) and spread sauce over it leaving about a 1-inch border.
- Arrange cheese on top.
- Bake until pizza dough is crisp and browned and cheese is golden and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.
- Gently remove pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.
- Cool for about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with basil leaves before serving.
{Dough recipe adapted from Walks of Italy}
CIAO!
God bless pizza! I could devour this one all on my own. Love it’s simplicity or one can load it up, though my favorite is right here. 🙂
God bless pizza, indeed!! 🙂
Oh that looks crazy delicious! I had no idea that IDIC existed but I am all for it!!
Me too! Thank you, my friend!
Oh why – oh why wasn’t I born Italian? Well, at least I have some Latin in me and I will just have to keep practicing these awesome recipes. Anything forming a volcano sounds like fun. I will attempt this one with my sidekick in the kitchen, Liam (he is 7). He loves pizza and loves volcanos. DONE!
You and Liam are about to have a ridiculously fun and delicious time!! Thanks, friend!
Talk about a holiday that keeps on giving! Italian food is one of the great gifts of the world and this pizza is a great example of why. GREG
I couldn’t agree more! Italian food (which includes margherita pizza) is a great gift! 🙂
Thanks for this post because I’ve marked International Day of Italian Cuisines in my calendar and I’m not missing it next year! Pizza in Italy is like no other. They know how to take simple and elevate it to a whole new level. Margherita pizza has always been one of my favorites too. Can’t wait to try your recipe next time I make it. Weird thing is today has been a total pizza day for me. I’m making a pan pizza tonight for dinner and I just saw 2 new pizza recipe posts by other bloggers I follow (besides yours). That’s 4 different pizza recipes in one day!! 🙂 #pizzaday
January 19th is now officially #pizzaday! I want to hear more about your pan pizza! Yum!
This pizza is so simple and fresh and brings back memories! The first time we had this pizza was in Italy and it’s amazing! Thin crust like this is the best, I love that little crunch along the edges. Nicely done ?. Take care.
They just know how to do pizza! Thanks so much, my friend! 🙂
Since I’m a day late to the International Day of Italian Cuisines party, I’m thinking I need to eat at least two of these Margherita Pizzas to make up for it. Which is no problem what so ever, because this pizza looks BEYOND AMAZING, Annie!!! Serious drool happening on this side of the computer screen. Margherita pizza is my all time favs, and yours is the best looking one I’ve ever seen! That crispy, thin crust! That cheese! That saaaauuceee!!! Heaven!! Pinned! Cheers, friend!
The crust makes all the difference! This is a real treat! Happy you like it, my friend! Cheers!
Great looking pizza Annie! I haven’t heard about International Day of Italian Cuisines, but why not, you are sure to find either an Italian or/and Chinese in every country of the world.
There are a lot of us! Thanks so much, Gaila!! 🙂
Hooray for your special day! Better late than never, right?! 🙂 This pizza looks SO good, Annie! I wish I could reach through my screen and grab the entire pie. Margherita is one of my favorites!
Thank you, Gayle!! This is a yummy one, for sure! 🙂
If you’re late in coming to the party, well, I’m right behind you. I didn’t know. I’ll have to mark this on my calendar and remember. And isn’t it fortunate that tonight is pizza night at our house? We used to put a bunch of ingredients on our pizza, but like you, we found a simple pizza is so much better. Happy pizza eating! xoxo
Well, that was good timing! I planned it! 😉 Yep – nothing better than a simple pizza! Have a great day, friend! xoxo
I didn’t know about International Day of Italian Cuisines. Thanks for this info. I love a good pizza, so I can have this pretty and authentic and delicious pizza with a chilled beer for all my meals. 🙂 PS: Love that photograph of beer glass.
Glad to see I was not alone! haha! Nothing like a good pizza and a cold beer! Thank you, my friend! 🙂
International Day of Italian Cuisines? I hadn’t heard of before either, but I’m glad I have now! Any day is a good day for Italian food, especially a classic margherita pizza! The only thing better would be if I were in Italy eating this 😀 I just had lunch, but now you are making me wish I had this in front of me right now and not just on my computer screen 😉 Love it! XOXO
Ohhhh, let’s go to Italy and eat pizza…and arancini…and gelato…oh my – now see what you’ve started! 🙂 I want all the street food! Thanks so much, my friend! Have a great day! XOXO
IDIC – who knew? But if it inspired you to share this delicious pizza then I’m all in, Annie! Gorgeous, pretty pictures – I’d eat this whole pizza in a flash! Pinning!
We definitely have that in common…I ate it in a flash, too! Thanks, dear! 🙂
There’s always a day we need to keep up with isn’t there Annie! Glad you found out about it because this pizza looks crazy good! I totally love that crust. And Margherita Pizza is always my favorite!
Indeed there is! This is one I’ll now never forget! Thank you, my friend! 🙂
That is one authentically delicious looking pizza, Annie! I had no idea that IDIC existed, but I’m all about celebrating some Italian food. You do it the best! 🙂
And now I’m blushing! Thanks so much my friend! xo
What a great way to celebrate and refresh classic, Annie! I didn’t know about IDIC. Margherita pizza allows the simple ingredients to shine and that’s what I love about it. Its simplicity. A friend of mine gifted me some “00” flour and I wasn’t sure what I’d do with it… now I know!! Delicious work, Annie!
You’ll find that the “00” flour helps to create a wonderfully light and crispy dough! Thanks for stopping by, Traci!! Have a great day, Sweets! xo