You don’t need a long ingredients list for a good pizza night. A margherita starts with a good base, a little care and toppings that give each other room to shine.
What to get ready
For one pizza: one portion of pizza dough, around 70 g of strained tomatoes, around 80 g of mozzarella, a few basil leaves, olive oil and salt. The quantities are a starting point: adjust them to the size of your pizza and your own taste.
1. Make room for your dough
Prepare and store the dough according to the product instructions. Use a lightly floured worktop. Press outwards from the centre with your fingertips, leaving the rim alone as much as possible. Rotate the dough as you go so that you stretch it evenly.
2. Keep the topping light
Stir a pinch of salt into the tomato. Spread a thin layer over the base, leaving the rim clear. Drain the mozzarella well, tear it into small pieces and scatter it loosely over the sauce. A pile of toppings may look inviting, but it makes your base soggy more quickly.
3. Get to know your oven
Preheat your oven and a suitable baking tray, pizza stone or pizza steel according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Baking time varies with the oven, temperature and dough thickness. Look at the pizza: the base should be cooked through and the rim nicely coloured. There is no universal baking time that works for every setup.
4. The final minute
Take the pizza out of the oven and finish with basil and a little olive oil. Slice, share and taste. What would you change next time? A little less sauce, a thinner base or an airier rim: that’s how you find your own version.
It doesn’t have to be perfectly round. It does have to taste good.