Before I begin to divulge the secret of the perfect Margherita pizza, I would like to share some news: traditionally in Naples, Italy, the birthplace of pizza and my hometown, a pizza base is deep-dish (two-and-a-half-inches thick at least), soft and crunchy. Not thin crust, which has gained immense popularity the world-over. Phew! I feel better already.
Shocking facts apart, Margherita pizzas look much simpler than they are to make. And that’s mainly because of the ingredients used in the preparation. For me, the best Margherita is made from the freshest tomatoes and basil, good quality olive oil, and using the right kind of cheese, which is Bucconcini, the egg-sized Mozzarella cheese from Naples, originally made from buffalo milk. Although a combination of buffalo and cow’s milk is used these days, the consistency and texture of this particular cheese makes for a perfect Margherita.
As you can see, there’s a little show of patriotism here. But I’d like to find a Neapolitan who isn’t, when it comes to matters related to pizzas!
Ingredients
For the dough
Flour - 500 grams
Fresh Yeast- 25 grams
Sugar- 10 grams
Salt - 12 grams
Water- 225 ml
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 62 ml
For the sauce and toppings
Tomato, large- 500 grams
Cherry Tomato- 25 grams
Mozzarella- 50 grams
Parmesan, grated- 20 grams
Basil leaves- 15 grams
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt, to season
For the pizza dough: Mix together flour and salt in a bowl, and make a well in the centre. Separately mix together sugar, yeast and water until the sugar dissolves and the yeast is well mixed. Pour the mixture and the oil into the well and mix together to form a cohesive mixture. Knead the mixture to form soft and springy dough. Divide the dough into pieces weighing 130 grams each. Roll each piece into a neat round. Brush olive oil to avoid skin formation and keep aside covered.
For the sauce : Blanch and peel the tomatoes. Blend and drain off the excess liquid using a strainer. Season with olive oil and salt.
Making of the Margherita: Preheat the oven to 250 C. Dust the counter with flour and flatten a dough roundel using fingers. Once it is relatively flat, use a rolling pin to roll out the pizza base, dusting flour occasionally to ensure that the dough does not stick. Using a ladle, put tomato sauce on the pizza base in a thin layer, leaving an inch gap from the edge on all sides. Top with quartered cherry tomatoes, Bucconcini, basil leaves and some grated parmesan. Transfer to the oven to cook the pizza, turning it at regular intervals to ensure even cooking. Once the pizza is ready, transfer to a chopping board and cut into equal pieces. Drizzle olive oil around the edges and all over and voila!
