Pizza Margherita: A Little History and Its Recipe

Supposedly, according to the traditional tale of Naples Italy, Pizza Margherita was created by a chef in honor of Queen Margherita using the colors of the Italian flag of red, white, and green.

The red represents the tomato sauce, the white the mozzarella cheese, and the green represents the basil used to top it.

Certain requirements are necessary to make a pizza into a margherita pizza. A certain density of dough and a height, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil along with a wood brick oven. Although Margherita Pizza is well known as originating in Naples, it is truly a symbol of Italy in general.

Ingredients:

To Make Your Own Fresh Pizza Dough:

2 cups warm water

2 packages active dry yeast

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons salt

6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

By combining the yeast, sugar, and water together it should start to foam within a few minutes. Add salt and flour gradually until the dough starts to form a ball. Add the olive oil. If the dough is sticky and wet, you can gradually add more flour.

Let the dough rise for one hour at room temperature or five hours if refrigerated. Once the dough is risen, roll it out into a circular shape and press the edges to from a sort of wall or reservoir for your sauce.

Layer your dough with tomato sauce, place fresh diced or whole slices of fresh mozzarella on top and top off with fresh basil and olive oil. You may add salt or even pepper to taste.

Typically, these pizza pies will take approximately 15 minutes each to bake. You will notice the cheese just start to bubble and the crust will turn a light golden brown. The key is to slightly melt the fresh mozzarella without it becoming stringy and staying closer to whole in consistency.

This is your basic dough and pizza recipe for the traditional margherita pizza. There are not too many variations of the margherita recipe pizza and thankfully so. This traditional fare from Naples Italy is popular all over the United States and all over the country, as well.

If this is your first time trying to make Margherita Pizza, you are in for a delightful surprise. Its ease to make as well as its ease and lightness will delight your taste buds.