Pizza Margherita

When we make pizza , we usually make the pizza with full topping , like the works or some place , calls it , supreme . But tonight , i thought i should try making the authentic pizza margherita , I decided to make 2 kinds of pizzas tonight , since , obviously , Jay would not want pizza with only fresh mozzarella and basil as its topping . And Nick probably wouldn’t like it either . It’s light and it’s not as filling as the works or the supreme .

So , i made my own pizza sauce earlier during the day and then made my pizza dough this afternoon too . The sauce was delicious and i thought it was perfect pizza margherita !!

Pizza sauce recipe :

6 oz of tomato paste

6 oz of warm water

3 tbsp. of parmesan cheese

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. honey

3/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/8 cayenne pepper

1/8 red pepper flakes

salt to your preference

Mix all ingredients in a small pot , bring to boil . set aside .

Pizza dough recipe :

3 1/2 c. – 4 c. of bread flour

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cup of warm water , about 100-110 F .

2 tbsp. olive oil plus 2 tsp. olive oil

In a mixer bowl , mix together dry ingredients with dough hook . Add warm water and olive  oil , mix together until mixture becomes a ball , if it’s too sticky , add flour , if it’s too dry add water 1 tbsp. at a time . Keep kneading until mixture becomes elastic . Remove from the mixer , knead for 1-2 minutes on a lightly floured surface ,  shape into a ball . In a large bowl , add 2 tsp. olive oil , put the dough in there , covered with plastic , let it sit until double in bulk for 1 hour . After 1 hour , take the dough out , divide into 2 , let it rest for 10 minutes before roll  it out on the pizza pan / stone .

Assembling pizza margherita :

1. Grease the pizza pan , roll out the pizza dough . Spread pizza sauce evenly on top , spread thinly sliced fresh mozzarella , and scatter some fresh basil leaves on top . Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil .

2. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes or until the pizza crust is golden brown .

For The works / supreme , i would bake the pizza crust before adding any topping , at 425 F , about 10 minutes . Then when it’s done , spread the pizza sauce , add your toppings , i used red onion , red pepper , cooked sausage and pepperoni , mushroom and grated mozzarella cheese , and colby jack cheese . Bake for another 12-15 minutes until cheese are melted .