Homemade Margherita Pizza

5 from 2 votes

Craving a pizza night? This simple sauce and straightforward method will give you the confidence to do it the homemade way!

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: homemade margherita pizza, homemade margherita pizza recipe

Servings: pizzas

Calories: 265kcal

Author: Monica Lensink

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (250 C) and preheat a pizza stone or baking sheet for at least 30 minutes. While the stone is preheating, set out the pizza dough and allow to come to room temperature.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir and set aside. Prepare and set aside your cubed mozzarella, grated parmesan, and torn basil, as well.
When ready to assemble, lay out a large square of parchment paper and dust lightly with cornmeal. Shape the pizza dough into a 12”-14” circle using lightly floured hands and/or a rolling pin. Lay the shaped dough on the cornmeal-dusted surface. Lightly brush the outer edge of the crust with olive oil.
Spread a thin layer of sauce onto the dough. Sprinkle the cubed mozzarella on top, followed by the grated parmesan and about half of the torn basil leaves.
Using a pizza peel or large cutting board, pick up the parchment and pizza and slide it gently into the oven on top of the preheated stone. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the remaining basil over the top, and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

A pizza stone really helps give you get the best crust. A good one is not terribly expensive, plus you'll find many other uses for it.
If you have whole or diced tomatoes on hand, no worries - just give them a quick whiz in the food processor to puree, then add the rest of the sauce ingredients straight into the food processor bowl. Quality of tomatoes is more important than format here, since you’re ultimately going for a puree anyway.
If you have extra sauce, it can be saved for a future pizza night or used as a tasty dipping sauce. This sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days, but bear in mind it will become more garlicky the longer it sits.
This recipe works best with low-moisture mozzarella - the stuff that comes in a block or brick but not packed in water. Excess water from the cheese will make a soggy crust and sad pizza! Either whole milk or part-skim mozzarella is fine.
If your crust springs back or is very difficult to shape, try letting it rest for another 5-10 minutes and try again. It should not give you fits! A few more minutes to rest at room temperature helps the gluten in the dough relax.