Introduction

Best Margherita Pizza is pure, timeless Italian perfection: a thin, chewy-crisp crust topped with vibrant San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil that tastes like Naples in every bite. This classic pie honors the queen it’s named after with just three colors — red, white, green — and lets premium ingredients shine without overload. Baked blistering hot until the cheese bubbles and the crust chars just right, this Best Margherita Pizza recipe offers a stunning, appetizing aesthetic that instantly turns any night into a pizzeria-worthy feast.

Why you’ll love this recipe

90 minutes total — including rise for homemade dough.
Authentic Neapolitan flavor — 00 flour + high heat = leopard-spotted crust.
Make-ahead dough — fridge or freezer up to 1 week/3 months.
Oven or grill — both methods included.
Endlessly riffable — burrata, prosciutto, or spicy honey versions.

Ingredients (two 12-inch pizzas)

Pizza Dough

3 cups (380 g) “00” flour or bread flour
1 cup (240 ml) warm water (105–110 °F)
2 tsp (7 g) instant yeast
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil

Toppings

1 can (28 oz) San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand (or best-quality crushed)
12–16 oz fresh mozzarella (fior di latte or buffalo), torn or sliced
Fresh basil leaves (20–30)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt

Optional

Garlic oil drizzle
Red pepper flakes

Essential Tools and Equipment

Pizza stone or steel (or baking sheet)
Pizza peel or parchment
Food processor or immersion blender (for sauce, optional)

Step-by-step process

Make dough — whisk warm water, yeast, sugar → rest 5 min foamy. Add flour, salt, oil → mix until shaggy → knead 8–10 min until smooth. Shape ball → oiled bowl → cover → rise 60–90 min until doubled (or overnight fridge).
Preheat oven with stone/steel on lowest rack to 500 °F (260 °C) or max (1 hour preheat essential).
Prep sauce — crush tomatoes by hand → season lightly with salt (no cooking needed).
Divide & shape — punch down dough → divide in half. On a floured surface, stretch each to a 12-inch round (thin center, thicker edge).
Top minimally — slide onto peel/parchment. Spread thin layer sauce → torn mozzarella → basil leaves → drizzle olive oil → flaky salt.
Bake — slide onto hot stone → 8–12 minutes until crust puffed, cheese bubbly, and bottom charred in spots.
Finish — extra olive oil drizzle + more fresh basil.
Serve immediately — sliced with scissors or a wheel.

Mistakes to avoid

Cold oven — no char; preheat stone 1 hour.
Too much sauce — soggy center; thin layer only.
Pre-shredded cheese — waxy; fresh mozzarella essential.
Overloading toppings — heavy pie; restraint = Neapolitan style.
Thick dough — gummy; stretch thin.

Variations of the Best Margherita Pizza

Burrata — dollop burrata after baking.
Prosciutto — add thin slices post-bake.
Spicy Honey — drizzle hot honey.
Grilled — same dough → grill 2–3 min per side.
Gluten-Free — GF 1:1 flour + xanthan gum.

Tips for better storage & make-ahead

Dough — after rise → divide → fridge 3 days or freeze 3 months → thaw overnight.
Baked — room temp 2 hrs or fridge 2 days → reheat 450 °F on stone 5 min.
Reheat — pizza stone > microwave for crisp return.

Frequently Asked Questions

No pizza stone? An upside-down baking sheet preheated works.
Bread flour? Yes — higher protein = chewier crust.
Canned tomatoes? San Marzano DOP = best flavor.
Double batch? Easy — just a bigger bowl.
Kids version? Less basil + extra cheese.

Conclusion

Best Margherita Pizza is pure Italian simplicity — each blistered, cheesy, basil-fresh bite tastes like the queen of pizzas made in your own oven. One bowl turns flour into the most elegant, most addictive pie you’ll ever pull from your kitchen. Keep “00” flour and San Marzanos stocked, and pizzeria night is literally 90 minutes away. Whether it’s date night, family pizza night, or proving homemade beats delivery, this pizza delivers pure joy and empty plates in perfect harmony. One bite, endless “this is better than the restaurant,” and the quiet thrill of Margherita mastery.