Classic Homemade Margherita Pizza
A harmonious combination of dough, cheese, tomatoes, and basil! Classic homemade Margherita bakes very quickly in a well-preheated oven. The thin base turns crisp, mozzarella stays tender, and the tomatoes bake but keep their shape.
Updated : 05 February, 2026
Easy
About 1 hour.
Ingredients
Dough
1.5 cup
Wheat flour
1 teaspoon
Dry yeast
1 teaspoon
Sugar
0.5 cup
Water
0.5 teaspoon
Salt
4 tablespoon
Olive oil
Filling
3 tablespoon
Tomato paste
2 tablespoon
Olive oil
1
Garlic
to taste
Salt
6
Basil
200 grams
Mozzarella
8
Cherry tomatoes
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How do you make Margherita pizza at home? Use top-grade flour. Sift it to remove any debris, aerate it with oxygen, and help the dough rise well. Olive oil is used in the classic pizza dough recipe, but you can replace it with any other refined oil.
Step 2
Start with the dough. Warm the water to 37-40°C (99-104°F). Dissolve the sugar in it and add the yeast. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, test the temperature by placing a drop of water on the inside of your wrist - if it feels neutral, it’s right. Leave in a warm place for 5-15 minutes to activate the yeast.
Step 3
Add salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the dough mixture and stir well until smooth.
Step 4
Flour from different brands (even the same type) can behave differently, so add it in small portions to reach the right consistency. When it becomes hard to mix with a spoon, start kneading by hand. Knead thoroughly.
Step 5
The dough should be soft, tender, and slightly sticky. Grease the bowl and your hands with vegetable oil. Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel so it doesn’t dry out and rises well. Leave it in a warm place while you prepare the topping.
Step 6
Prepare the topping. Fresh basil can be replaced with dried. Choose small, firm, meaty tomatoes so they don’t spread and keep their shape while baking.
Step 7
Peel and rinse the garlic, then cut each clove in half lengthwise. Heat oil in a skillet. Fry the garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring.
Step 8
Add tomato paste to the garlic. If it’s too thick, add a little water to make it smooth. Stir constantly, bring to a boil, and salt to taste. Simmer for 2 more minutes.
Step 9
Remove wilted basil leaves and tough stems, rinse, dry, and chop with a knife. Add to the skillet and stir. The sauce is ready.
Step 10
Transfer the sauce to a small container and let it cool. Remove the garlic - you won’t need it anymore.
Step 11
Slice the mozzarella into 3-5 mm (about 1/8-1/4 in) pieces. You can grate part of it, as I did.
Step 12
Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems, and slice into rounds or simply cut in half.
Step 13
Once the sauce has cooled, shape the pizza. Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F) so it has time to heat up.
Step 14
Press the dough out by hand into a round base 3-5 mm (about 1/8-1/4 in) thick. Leave the edges thicker to form a rim.
Step 15
Spread the sauce evenly over the dough.
Step 16
Distribute the mozzarella on top.
Step 17
Arrange the tomatoes.
Step 18
Bake for 10-15 minutes on the middle rack in a preheated 220°C (428°F) oven on top/bottom heat. Adjust time and temperature for your oven. In the finished pizza, the edges should be lightly browned. In an ideal Margherita, the mozzarella should only melt slightly. I baked mine a bit too long and it spread too much; next time I’ll increase the temperature.
Author note
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