Italian Pizza · italian cuisine
Neapolitan-Style Margherita Pizza at Home
Hot stone or steel if you have it, light toppings, dough that fermented long enough to taste alive.
Recipe card
Why this recipe works
I spent a week in Naples watching pizzaioli move like dancers — stretch, launch, turn, pull. At home we do not have 480°C wood ovens, but we can steal their ideas: strong hydration, long cold fermentation, restrained toppings, and brutal heat from a steel or stone.
The biggest mistake home cooks make with Margherita is drowning the dough. Watery mozzarella and thick sauce create a soggy centre. Drain the mozzarella, crush tomatoes by hand without cooking them into a stew, and leave a proper cornicione (rim). When the pizza comes out, a drizzle of good olive oil and torn basil finish it — never bake the basil into bitterness if you can help it.
This dough takes patience. Mix it the night before. The flavour that develops in the fridge is the difference between "homemade pizza night" and something that smells like a real bakery.
Expert kitchen tips
- Pat mozzarella dry between towels for 20 minutes. Wet cheese is the enemy of crisp centres.
- Sauce should taste bright and seasoned — a pinch of salt only. Do not simmer into marinara.
- Launch confidence comes from a well-floured peel and a quick, committed slide.
- One topping rule of Naples: restraint. Margherita is a balance test, not a loaded pie.
Ingredients
- 500g tipo 00 or strong bread flour
- 325ml lukewarm water (65% hydration)
- 2g instant yeast (or 6g fresh)
- 10g fine sea salt
- 10g extra-virgin olive oil (optional for home ovens)
- 1 can (400g) San Marzano tomatoes, hand-crushed, lightly salted
- 250g fresh mozzarella, drained and torn
- Fresh basil leaves, olive oil, flaky salt to finish
Step-by-step method
- Mix flour, water, and yeast until shaggy. Rest 20 minutes (autolyse). Add salt and oil; knead until smooth, 8–10 minutes by hand.
- Bulk ferment 1–2 hours at room temp until slightly puffy, then divide into 4 balls. Oil lightly, cover, and cold-ferment in the fridge 18–24 hours.
- Place a pizza steel or stone on the top rack. Preheat oven as hot as it goes (250–290°C / 480–550°F) for at least 45 minutes.
- Remove dough 60–90 minutes before baking. On a lightly floured surface, press from the centre outward, leaving a puffy rim. Do not use a rolling pin.
- Spread 2–3 spoonfuls of crushed tomato. Scatter drained mozzarella sparingly. Launch onto the steel.
- Bake 5–8 minutes until the crust blisters and cheese melts. Finish with basil, olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
Estimated nutrition
About 480 calories per serving (based on 4 servings). Values are estimates for home cooks and vary by brands, oil used, and portion size — not lab-analysed.
Serving ideas & leftovers
Serve hot, taste for seasoning at the table, and store leftovers in an airtight container once cool. Most of these dishes reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water, stock, or the dish’s own sauce so the texture stays kind.
This recipe is original CookMe editorial content for home cooks. Nutrition varies by brands and portions. If you have allergies, check every label. CookMe may display ads via partners such as Mediavine; see our Privacy Policy and Advertising Disclosure.