Inspired by the pizza at Bar Del Corso, this Pizza Margherita features tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil, with just a hint of sea salt.
Ingredients
- ½ cups all-purpose flour: 3 piece
- salt: 1 tsp
- water: 1 cup
- active dry yeast: 1 pack (.25 ounce pack)
- pinch white sugar: 1 piece
- flour for dusting: 0.25 cup
- pizza sauce: 2 cups
- slices fresh mozzarella cheese: 20 piece
- leaves fresh basil: 20 piece
- olive oil:
- sea salt: (to taste)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Stir flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Set aside.
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Mix water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
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Stir half the flour mixture into yeast mixture until no dry spots remain. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When dough pulls together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
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Lightly oil a large bowl, then place dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch dough down, divide into 4 equal pieces, and form each into a ball.
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Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
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Stretch out and pat 1 dough ball to form a circle 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Place dough on a lightly floured pizza peel. Top with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and spread to cover within an inch of the edge of the dough. Arrange 5 slices of mozzarella cheese on top of the tomato sauce, then place 5 basil leaves on top. Drizzle pizza with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Repeat for 3 remaining dough balls.
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Slide each pizza onto the pizza stone in the preheated oven. Bake until cheese is bubbly and the underside of the crust is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Cynthia Ross
