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!
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
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.
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
- Preheat oven to the highest temperature possible. Whatever is the maximum temperature that your oven can reach, set it to that maximum.
- Preheat pizza stone, inverted baking sheet, pizza pan, or cast-iron skillet for at least 30 minutes.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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 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 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!
Best Homemade Margherita Pizza Recipe
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 mozarella pat dry and cut into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
- 10 fresh basil leaves either whole or thinly cut into strips
Instructions
- 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.
- 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
- Preheat oven to the highest temperature possible. Whatever is the maximum temperature that your oven can reach, set it to that maximum.
- Â Preheat pizza stone, inverted baking sheet, pizza pan, or cast-iron skillet for at least 30 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
2pots2cook
So into your version ! Thank you so much Denise !
John / Kitchen Riffs
Pizza! Who doesn’t love it? Such a simple, classic preparation — and probably the best. Super recipe — thanks.
Josiah - DIY Thrill
This pizza looks so good!
Raymund
NIce and simple Denise, just like how the Italians do them
Karen (Back Road Journal)
Margherita pizza is one of my favorites and a thin one like yours is the best.