Margherita Pizza
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Skip the delivery—this Margherita pizza brings pizzeria-level flavor with a crisp, chewy crust, gooey mozzarella, and a no-cook sauce you can whip up in minutes.
Margherita pizza—the classic thin-crust pie from Naples—was named for Queen Margherita of Savoy. As the story goes, she was served a pizza in 1889 that resembled the Italian flag—with red tomatoes, white mozzarella, and green basil—and the rest is history.
Though this fresh mozzarella pizza is traditionally baked in a blazing-hot wood-fired oven, you can make an excellent version at home using a sheet pan and a few smart techniques. I use my favorite homemade pizza dough (though store-bought works beautifully too) and parbake the crust with just the sauce before adding the cheese—this keeps the center from getting soggy and ensures a crisp, chewy bite all the way through.
As for the sauce, it’s as simple as it gets: a no-cook Neapolitan pizza sauce made with canned San Marzano crushed tomatoes that comes together in five minutes. It’s proof that when the ingredients are good, you don’t need to do much to them.
Love pizza night? Try my summery pesto pizza and these fun mini English muffin pizzas for something a little different.
“Made the sauce, dough, and pizza. It’s the best pizza I’ve had or made and I’ve tried many.”
What You’ll Need To Make Margherita Pizza
- Pizza dough: My rich homemade pizza dough is ideal, but store-bought works too. You will need two 1-pound dough balls to make two 12-inch pizzas.
- San Marzano Crushed Tomatoes: This variety of plum tomatoes originates from the town of San Marzano sul Sarno near Naples, Italy. These tomatoes are sweeter, less acidic, and more concentrated in flavor than typical roma tomatoes. Many supermarkets carry them, but don’t worry if you can’t find them; regular crushed tomatoes will work too.
- Fresh Mozzarella: I prefer a fresh mozzarella ball that is not packed in water. If all you can find is one in water, just be sure to dry it very well before prepping it for your pizza. Any extra liquid can make the pizza soggy.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Use authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, which you can identify by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the name over and over. If the cheese is already grated, it should be labeled “Parmigiano Reggiano,” not “Parmesan.”
- Fresh Cornmeal and Flour: You will need just a touch of flour to keep the dough from sticking to the surface when you stretch it out. The cornmeal keeps the crust from sticking to the pan and also gives a deliciously crisp bite to the crust.
- Seasoning: A bit of sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes, fresh garlic brings depth, and fresh basil adds a pop of color and flavor to the finished pizza.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make a Margherita pizza
Step 1: Make the pizza sauce. Combine the crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl and mix to combine. If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can blend the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Step 2: Stretch the dough. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to gently stretch one of the dough balls into a 12-inch round. Don’t worry if it’s not a perfect circle—rustic is part of the charm. If the dough springs back, let it rest for a few minutes and try again.
Step 3: Prep the pizza for baking. Transfer the dough to a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, then gently stretch it out again to help it keep its round shape. If the edges shrink back a little, just nudge them back into place—no need to be fussy.
Step 4: Add the sauce. Spread the sauce over the dough, leaving about a ½-inch border around the edges.
Step 5: Parbake. Pop the pizza in the oven for 7 minutes to give the crust a head start. This gives it a chance to bake and start crisping before the cheese goes on, so you don’t end up with a doughy center or overcooked, rubbery cheese. It might seem like an extra step, but it’s the key to a crisp bottom and a perfectly melted top.
Step 6: Add the cheese. Remove the pizza from the oven and scatter half of the mozzarella cubes over the sauce, followed by half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Step 7: Finish baking. Slide the pan back into the oven and cook until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling. About 4 minutes more is perfect. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with the basil and slice.
Pro Tips for the best margherita pizza
- Cooking Two Pizzas: This recipe makes two pizzas. Cook one at a time or if you prefer to bake both pizzas together, you can fire up two ovens. Another option, if you don’t mind the crust a little thicker, is to cook them on the same baking sheet. Shape each dough ball into a 8×12-inch rectangle and place them side by side on the baking sheet.
- Don’t Overload the Pizza: Less is more here—too much sauce and cheese will make the crust soggy.
- Hot Oven: Make sure you preheat your oven in advance to 500° F. A hot oven is essential for baking the pizza crust perfectly.
- Make-Ahead: This pizza is best made fresh, but you can prepare the pizza dough in advance, prep the cheese, and mix together the pizza sauce up to 48 hours in advance. For best results, stretch the dough and assemble the Margherita pizzas when you’re ready to cook them.
- Leftovers: To reheat leftover pizza, the oven, air fryer, or a toaster oven are your best bet. Place the pizza slices on a baking tray and heat in a 400°F oven for 5 minutes, or until heated through. Avoid using the microwave if you can.
More Italian bread and Pizza Recipes
Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 (14-oz) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Flour, for stretching the dough
- 2 (1-lb) homemade pizza doughs
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, not packed in water, cubed
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal, for baking
Instructions
- Make the Sauce: In a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes, garlic, salt, sugar, pepper, and oil. (Alternatively, for a completely smooth sauce, you can blend the ingredients in a small food processor or blender.)
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) and set an oven rack in the bottom position. Dust a 13 x 18-in (33 x 46-cm) baking sheet with half of the cornmeal.
- On a lightly floured surface, using your hands, stretch and press one ball of dough into a 12-in (30-cm) round. Transfer the dough to the cornmeal-dusted baking sheet, and gently stretch it out again so that it maintains its shape.
- Spread about ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of the sauce over the dough, leaving a ½-in (13-mm) border around the edges. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 7 minutes, until the crust is partially cooked. Remove from the oven, and scatter half of the mozzarella cubes over the sauce, followed by half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Slide the pan back into the oven and cook until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 4 minutes more. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with the basil and slice. Repeat with the remaining pizza dough and ingredients. (If you'd like to bake the two pizzas at the same time, you can fire up two ovens. Or, if you don't mind the crust a little thicker, you can form the two dough balls into 8x12-inch rectangles and place them side by side on the baking sheet.)
- Note: This recipe makes enough sauce for 4 (12-in/30-cm) pizzas. Refrigerate extra sauce for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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We have made this pizza several times now. The sauce is rich and flavorful as well as easy to make. I use a baking stone in the oven and the crust comes out perfect. Crispy on the bottom and the inside tender but a little chewy. The other ingredients you recommend make this the perfect combination. This is the perfect pizza for us. Thanks so much.
I have made this pizza many times as it is delicious and easy. I stretch the dough a lot bigger for a thinner crust.
It’s a great base and I add more veggies like sautéed onions and mushrooms or fresh spinach 😋
When I told my husband I was making a Margarita pizza, he was really confused because I don’t drink tequila lol! So I explained what it was and he said, “no meat?” I did add thin sliced onions because we love them. By the second bite, he was a fan. I really enjoyed it too! I used the dough recipe linked and found it easy to make.
LOL — glad you both enjoyed it!
I made the pizza this weekend, what a wonderful treat. I used your recipe for pizza dough too which was so easy and delicious. Your recipes continue to be my favorite source.
I keep raving about your latest recipes to my friends; they are quickly joining your fan club. Thanks for another winner Jenn.
Glad it was a hit! ❤️
Can I cheat and use some leftover marinara sauce?
It will taste a little different, but sure, that will work. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Jen, if I wanted to double the dough recipe, would I run into any issues? I would be using a KitchenAid Epicurian mixer. I am making it tonight but thought from the other reviews , that I will be making it again and thought it would be easier to make extra dough!
My family LOVES all of your recipies and you!:)
Hi Debbie, I think it’ll be fine to double the dough recipe. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi,
Made the sauce, dough and pizza. It’s the best pizza I’ve had or made and I’ve tried many times. My dough never turned out like this. It’s was exactly how you described it, crunchy outside and chewy on the inside and so tasty. The sauce was yummy too and so easy. My hubby and I ate the whole thing! If I had made the second one that would have been gone too! Again, another fabulous recipe.
The dough was perfect, the pizza sauce, cheese, fresh basil was perfect. Crunchy crust, melty cheese. Jen it was perfect. I’ve not been able to make a pizza dough like this. Margherita pizza is my favorite and I’ve Found it. 🙏
Jenn, this recipe is awesome!!!
Did not change anything, it’s flavorful and very very easy to make.
My family loved it!
Thank you so much for yet another great recipe.
Great pizza! Basil is hard to find in stores right now so I did without. For my vegetarian daughter I topped it with sautéed Crimini mushroom slices. The carnivores had the mushrooms and cooked sweet Italian turkey sausage. I did cheat and used jarred Rao’s pizza sauce because I had used it before and knew it was good. I made the dough yesterday and left it in the fridge until this evening. The dough was very easy to make and to work with.