Ingredients:
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1 pinch white sugar
- ¼ cup flour for dusting
- 2 cups pizza sauce
- 20 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 20 leaves fresh basil
- Olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions:
- Stir flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Mix water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
- Stir half the flour mixture into yeast mixture until no dry spots remain. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- When dough pulls together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
- Lightly oil a large bowl, then place dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Punch dough down, divide into 4 equal pieces, and form each into a ball.
- Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
- Stretch out and pat 1 dough ball to form a circle 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Place dough on a lightly floured pizza peel.
- Top with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and spread to cover within an inch of the edge of the dough.
- Arrange 5 slices of mozzarella cheese on top of the tomato sauce, then place 5 basil leaves on top.
- Drizzle pizza with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
- Repeat for 3 remaining dough balls.
- Slide each pizza onto the pizza stone in the preheated oven. Bake until cheese is bubbly and the underside of the crust is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes¹.
Enjoy your homemade Pizza Margherita! 🍕