Authentic Pizza Margherita Recipes

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 pinch white sugar
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• 1/4 cup flour for dusting
• 2 cups pizza sauce
• 20 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• 20 leaves fresh basil
• olive oil
• sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Stir flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Mix water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
3. 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.
4. 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 (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch dough down, divide into 4 equal pieces, and form each into a ball.
5. Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
6. 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.
7. 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 minutes.