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    Home > Quick & Easy Recipes > Best Homemade Margherita Pizza Recipe (5 Ingredients)

    June 2, 2020

    Best Homemade Margherita Pizza Recipe (5 Ingredients)


    Jump to Recipe ↓ Print Recipe

    Ready for the BEST homemade Margherita pizza recipe ever? It not only tastes AMAZING but it is super easy to make with only 5 ingredients: this homemade no yeast pizza dough, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil! No fancy ingredients required, baked in a standard oven, and ready to eat in 30 minutes. It comes with a PLUS: you can enjoy it without guilt. Come see why!

    A close up of Margarita pizza

    Forget frozen pizza, which is nowhere near as tasty as homemade. Also don’t bother ordering a Margherita pizza at Domino’s or California Pizza Kitchen! That’s right!

    This easy Margherita pizza recipe is as good as the authentic one from Italy — but without the hassle. You can prepare it in just 30 minutes with 5 everyday ingredients using a standard oven.

    And the crust is homemade… with only 2 ingredients. No yeast is needed, no time for rising is required, and no sky-rocketing calories to expand your waistline.

    I introduce to you a lean Margherita that tastes just like the high-calorie beast. Don’t you love the idea of eating a super yummy pizza without the guilt? Oh, me too!

    History says that this is actually a typical Neapolitan pizza – which by the way has the colors of the flag of Italy!

    Well, I have never been to Naples. But I have eaten Neapolitan pizza from authentic Italian pizzerias, made with an in-house thin pizza crust and high-quality ingredients… while, of course, paying a lot for that!

    I know how to make my own and how it is supposed to taste. The only difference between ours and theirs is less hassle, less calories, and less money and time spent.

    Sound good? Well, come along!

    Ingredients for Margherita Pizza Recipe

    a slice ut out of the margherita pizza

    Margherita pizza recipe includes a crispy crust, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil.

    • Crust – a thin, yeast pizza dough baked in a high-temperature brick-oven is the tradition! However, ours involves a yeast-free, lean pizza dough made with only 2 ingredients: self-rising flour and  nonfat Greek yogurt that doesn’t require any time to leaven. It is much quicker to make too!
    • Tomato sauce – because this is a simple pizza with a fresh look and flavor, raw tomato sauces make the best choice! You can use pureed San Marzano canned tomatoes, which are grown in a rich volcanic soil, giving them a sweet flavor and low acidity. If desired, mix with grated garlic, a touch of olive oil, and salt and pepper (or at least with salt and pepper). But of course, you can use a Tomato Passata (uncooked tomato puree) as an alternative. If you would rather not bother, you can also use Marinara (which is a simple yet cooked sauce).
    • Fresh Mozzarella – if you can’t find one that is not packed in water, simply pat dry very, very well. Otherwise, it will release water during the cooking process, making your pizza soggy. You may cut it into thin slices to melt easily or, even better, cut it into ½-inch pieces to spread the cheese more evenly. This pizza does not call for shredded mozzarella as other pizzas do, so distributing the cheese as much as possible is an important step.
    • Fresh basil – you may use torn basil, chopped, chiffonade (cut into long, thin strips), or the whole leaves. It depends on what presentation you want to convey. Use part of the basil to bake on the pizza and reserve some as a fresh topping before serving.

    Other Toppings

    Simplicity is key! Besides the tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil, you may serve yours with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. As a plus, you can sprinkle freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. But remember, the more toppings the more the calories!

    If you use good-quality ingredients, the traditional 3 toppings with a drizzle of EVOO is enough! That’s the way I like to enjoy my homemade Margherita pizza.

    3 slices of Margherita pizza

    Homemade Pizza Equipment

    Although the ideal is to bake pizza on a baking stone for a crispy crust, you can replace it with a cast-iron skillet. Yep! Depending on the size of the pizza, just place the crust in or over the back of a preheated large cast-iron skillet to make it crispy.

    Here is the thing: baking stones absorb a lot of the heat from the oven, almost like brick-ovens that can reach around 800 degrees F. By pulling moisture from the pizza dough, it helps to achieve a crispy crust.

    Most home gas ovens have a maximum temperature around 500 to 550 degrees F. For this reason, keep in mind that your homemade pizza may be less crispy than one cooked in a brick-oven yet it will still be quite crusty.

    Another common alternative to a pizza stone is a preheated inverted baking sheet that has a larger surface than a cast-iron skillet, making it easy to slide the pizza onto it. The crust won’t be as crispy as when baked in/on a cast-iron skillet or on a pizza stone, but it’ll work fine – as wells as if baked in a pizza pan.

    4 Tips for a Crispy Pizza

    a hand holding aone slice of pizza

    1. Preheat oven to the highest temperature possible. Whatever is the maximum temperature that your oven can reach, set it to that maximum.
    2.  Preheat pizza stone, inverted baking sheet, pizza pan, or cast-iron skillet for at least 30 minutes.
    3. The pizza crust must be very thin when it goes into the oven. Keep in mind that the center of the crust will need to be thin enough that you can see some light shine through (although the edges can be thick) in order to achieve crisp pizza.
    4. Top with a thin layer of sauce – This not only mimics the traditional Margherita but also prevents the sauce from penetrating the crust and making it soggy.

    How to Make The Best Homemade Margherita Pizza

    close up showing pizza crust topped with tomato sauce,mozzarella, and basil

    1. Preheat oven to the maximum temperature. Mine reaches a maximum of 550° F (290° C). Position pizza stone, cast-iron skillet, inverted baking sheet or pizza pan in the center of the middle rack. Allow to heat for at least 30 minutes.
    2. Meanwhile, prepare this no yeast pizza dough and have the toppings ready to assemble the pizza.
    3. Once crust is ready, place onto a pizza pan or a large plate that you can use to slide the pizza onto the surface that is being preheated in the oven.
    4. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce, leaving a ½- inch border on all sides. Distribute the cheese evenly, as well as the basil.
    5. Gently slide pizza onto the heated stone, skillet or pan and let it bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown on the edges and the cheese is bubbling and caramelized. If baking at 500° F (260° C), bake for about 15 minutes.
    6. Use gloves to remove pizza from the oven. Transfer to a cutting board and drizzle the top with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired. Sprinkle the remaining fresh basil on top and serve while hot. If you have an extra crust, assemble and bake the second Margherita pizza or other pizza style of your choice.

    Storage

    You may store leftovers in the fridge in a sealable plastic bag for up to 2 days. You may freeze dough flat like a disc and wrap in plastic wrap for up to 2 months. Let come to room temp for 10 minutes before adding the toppings and bake. 

     Other Pizzas To Try:

    • Shrimp Pizza
    • Pizza a Portuguesa 
    • Pizza Bombs
    • Tuna and Onion Pizza 
    • Pepperoni Pizza (Kitchen Blender)
    • Caprese Pizza
    • Chicken Alfredo Pizza

    PIN & ENJOY!

    pizza close up

    A close up of Margarita pizza
    Print Pin
    5 from 3 votes

    Best Homemade Margherita Pizza Recipe

    Ready for the BEST homemade Margherita pizza recipe ever? It not only tastes AMAZING but it is super easy to make with only 5 ingredients: this homemade no yeast pizza dough, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil! No fancy ingredients required, can be baked in a standard oven, and is ready to eat in 30 minutes. And it comes with a PLUS: you can enjoy it without guilt. Come see why!
    Course:Entree
    Cuisine:Italian
    Keywords:homemade Margherita pizza, Margherita pizza recipe, pizza recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 20 minutes
    Servings 8 slices
    Calories102 kcal
    Author Denise Browning
    Cost $ 0.75 per slice

    Equipment

    • pizza pan
    • bowl
    • oven

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup self-rising flour
    • 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
    • 1/4 cup canned San Marzano tomatoes blended until saucy like a tomato sauce
    • 2 slices fresh mozzarella pat dry and cut into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
    • 10 fresh basil leaves either whole or thinly cut into strips
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to the maximum temperature. Mine reaches a maximum of 550° F (290° C). Position pizza stone, cast-iron skillet, inverted baking sheet, or pizza pan in the center of the middle rack. Allow to heat for at least 30 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, prepare this no yeast pizza dough and have the toppings ready to assemble the pizza. Once crust is ready, place onto a pizza pan or a large plate that you can use to slide the pizza onto the surface that is being preheated in the oven.
    • Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce, leaving a ½- inch (1.25 cm) border on all sides. Distribute the cheese evenly, as well as the basil.
    • Gently slide pizza onto the heated stone, skillet or pan and let it bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown on the edges and the cheese is bubbling and caramelized. If baking at 500° F (260° C), bake for about 15 minutes.
    • Use gloves to remove pizza from the oven. Transfer to a cutting board and drizzle the top with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired. Sprinkle the remaining fresh basil on top and serve while hot. If you have an extra crust, assemble and bake the second pizza.

    Recipe Notes

    STORAGE:
    You may store leftovers in the fridge in a sealable plastic bag for up to 2 days. You may freeze the dough flattened  into a disc and wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 months. Let it come to room temp for 10 minutes before adding the toppings, and then bake. 
    4 Tips for a Crispy Crust:
    1. Preheat oven to the highest temperature possible. Whatever is the maximum temperature that your oven can reach, set it to that maximum.
    2.  Preheat pizza stone, inverted baking sheet, pizza pan, or cast-iron skillet for at least 30 minutes.
    3. Pizza crust must be very thin when it goes into the oven. Keep in mind that the center of the crust must be thin enough that you can see some light shine through (although the edges can be thick) in order to achieve crisp pizza.
    4. Top with a thin layer of sauce – this not only mimics the traditional Margherita pizza, but it also prevents the sauce from penetrating the crust and making it soggy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 61mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 83IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Comment and rate the recipe. Also follow us on Pinterest at @easyanddelish for more delish recipes.

    Filed Under: 5 Ingredients or Less, American Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Quick & Easy Recipes Tagged With: Pizza

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. 2pots2cook says

      June 03, 2020 at 2:23 am

      5 stars
      So into your version ! Thank you so much Denise !

      Reply
    2. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      June 03, 2020 at 8:58 am

      Pizza! Who doesn’t love it? Such a simple, classic preparation — and probably the best. Super recipe — thanks.

      Reply
    3. Josiah - DIY Thrill says

      June 03, 2020 at 9:29 pm

      This pizza looks so good!

      Reply
    4. Raymund says

      June 08, 2020 at 3:13 pm

      5 stars
      NIce and simple Denise, just like how the Italians do them

      Reply
    5. Karen (Back Road Journal) says

      June 09, 2020 at 10:33 am

      Margherita pizza is one of my favorites and a thin one like yours is the best.

      Reply
    6. Darlene Moffitt says

      October 10, 2020 at 8:53 pm

      Hi how much is per serve though? Please. Is the calories for whole pizza? or a slice?

      Reply
      • Denise Browning says

        October 12, 2020 at 9:17 am

        Hi Darle3ne! This homemade Margherita pizza serves 8 slices and costs about $0.75 per slice.

        Reply
        • ivy smith says

          February 11, 2021 at 8:03 am

          5 stars
          is the 102 calories for just for one serving or for the whole pizza?

          Reply
          • Denise Browning says

            February 14, 2021 at 6:51 pm

            Hi Ivy! It has 102 calories per slice. Way less than a regular slice of Margherita pizza which usually has the triple of calories.

            Reply

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