Pizza margherita in 4 easy steps
See this recipe step by step

Pizza margherita in 4 easy steps

Even a novice cook can master the art of pizza with our simple step-by-step guide. Bellissimo

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 2 pizzas, serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 25 mins

Cook time

Cook 10 mins

Vegetarian Freezable

Vegetarian

Pizzas uncooked

Method

  1. Make the base: Put the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the yeast and salt. Make a well, pour in 200ml warm water and the olive oil and bring together with a wooden spoon until you have a soft, fairly wet dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and set aside. You can leave the dough to rise if you like, but it's not essential for a thin crust.
  2. Make the sauce: Mix the passata, basil and crushed garlic together, then season to taste. Leave to stand at room temperature while you get on with shaping the base.
  3. Roll out the dough: If you've let the dough rise, give it a quick knead, then split into two balls. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into large rounds, about 25cm across, using a rolling pin. The dough needs to be very thin as it will rise in the oven. Lift the rounds onto two floured baking sheets.
  4. Top and bake: Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C /gas 8. Put another baking sheet or an upturned baking tray in the oven on the top shelf. Smooth sauce over bases with the back of a spoon. Scatter with cheese and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and season. Put one pizza, still on its baking sheet, on top of the preheated sheet or tray. Bake for 8-10 mins until crisp. Serve with a little more olive oil, and basil leaves if using. Repeat step for remaining pizza.
Try

Troubleshooting

If the dough is too wet: Add a bit more flour and work it in. If dough is too stretchy to roll out: Leave it to rest for 10 mins or so, then try again. You need far more pressure when rolling dough than when rolling out pastry. If the base isn't cooked: Baking the pizza on top of a preheated sheet or tray should prevent this. However, it could be too thick or have too much topping. If the topping is cooked before the base, cover with foil and give it another 5 mins.

Choose your toppings

Fancy a bit more topping? Here's some suggestions. Olives, ham and chargrilled artichokes; Spicy sausage, chilli or jalapeños and sliced tomato; Spinach, garlic, gorgonzola cheese and a whole egg cracked on top; Creamy mascarpone, pesto, roasted red peppers and sliced mushrooms. Or if you are not sure what you fancy - why not do half and half.

Garlic & rosemary bread

Leave the dough a bit thicker, brush with oil and stud with rosemary sprigs. Bake for 15 mins or until risen and golden. Brush with garlic butter.

Calzone

Pile sauce and toppings onto one half of the dough circle, brush the edge with a little water, then fold and pinch to make a pasty shape. Bake until golden as before.

Per serving

431 kcalories, protein 19.0g, carbohydrate 59.0g, fat 15.0 g, saturated fat 7.0g, fibre 3.0g, sugar 2.0g, salt 1.87 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2007.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 101-120

  • Binder photo hunni

    17 September 2010

    hunni rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    So easy..and delicious!!!

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  • Binder photo tallalex

    18 September 2010

    tallalex rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Laura

    23 September 2010

    Laura commented on this recipe

    I'm not really familiar with using yeast, and I live in France. Could anyone tell me the proper yeast to use? Is it the little packets of levure de boulangerie? It's like tiny little light brown balls that smell really strong. Usually I would put it into warm water before adding them to a recipe. Here I would just add it directly? Thanks for your advice!

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  • Binder photo Hanjimani

    26 September 2010

    Hanjimani rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Fab recipe! Made this yesterday and whole family loved it. We all added our own toppings (ham, salami, peppers, pineapple, mushrooms etc.), the pizzas came out great! Will definitely make again! Yummy!

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  • Binder photo lockheart

    01 October 2010

    lockheart rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    excellent recipe for dough. everyone loved it. highly recommended.

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  • Binder photo MoreFoodPlease

    02 October 2010

    MoreFoodPlease rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious!

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  • Binder photo Allylou2002

    09 October 2010

    Allylou2002 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Delicious! Pizza dough was perfect easy to make for me! the very novice cook- made a couple with various toppings! Everyone polished it off!!

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  • Binder photo Sarah

    09 October 2010

    Sarah rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo mv_bel

    15 October 2010

    mv_bel rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    So easy and so tasty!

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  • Binder photo Amie Landsborough

    24 November 2010

    Amie Landsborough commented on this recipe

    Brilliant! It was the first time I'd ever made pizza from scratch. Worked brilliantly, tasted gorgeous. Can use cheddar cheese and tomato puree as alternatives, still tastes yummy!

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  • Binder photo Amie Landsborough

    24 November 2010

    Amie Landsborough rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo lib502

    13 December 2010

    lib502 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is excellent recipe, quick, easy and tasty. It gives you a really thin pizza base that crisps up really well. I did roll mine out bigger than in the recipe ton fit the tray I have. I will definitely make this again.

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  • Binder photo Anyank

    04 January 2011

    Anyank rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Womble

    08 January 2011

    Womble rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Was sooooo easy. Unbelievable. The dough worked fine. Me and husband used to live in Italy and the base wasn't quite italian - need to make it even thinner maybe. Will definitely try again!

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  • Binder photo DHerrera

    17 January 2011

    DHerrera rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely delicious and versatile

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  • Binder photo Claudia

    20 January 2011

    Claudia commented on this recipe

    Absolutely love it!! It's one of those you'll make again and again and again...

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  • Binder photo delmae74

    20 January 2011

    delmae74 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Super easy and great for the kids to help with. Very tasty!!! Agreed much better than shop bought!

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  • Binder photo Yorkshire Bex

    22 January 2011

    Yorkshire Bex rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I used brown flour as all I had in, rolled the bases really thin and used pre-warmed trays, turned out lovely and crisp I used half passata and half tomato pasta sauce, with an onion, 1 birds eye chilli and 3 garlic cloves, simmered for a while and whizzed to paste, probably made about 200 ml and I had plenty left over. Topped with tuna, olives, sweetcorn, red onion, red pepper, chilli and cheese. YUMMY!

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  • Binder photo Vegiegirl

    30 January 2011

    Vegiegirl rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I added different toppings - caramelized red onion, mushroom etc. Exceptionally easy to make, and very tasty!

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  • Binder photo Autumn

    02 February 2011

    Autumn commented on this recipe

    I would just like to point out that this pizza isn't vegetarian if it uses parmesan cheese, which has to be made using calf rennet.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 2 pizzas, serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 25 mins

Cook time

Cook 10 mins

Vegetarian Freezable

Vegetarian

Pizzas uncooked

Ingredients

FOR THE BASE

  • 300g strong bread flour
  • 1 tsp instant yeast (from a sachet or a tub)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil , plus extra for drizzling

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

FOR THE TOPPING

TO FINISH

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Per serving

431 kcalories, protein 19.0g, carbohydrate 59.0g, fat 15.0 g, saturated fat 7.0g, fibre 3.0g, sugar 2.0g, salt 1.87 g

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