Pizza Margherita! (CONTEST IS CLOSED)
Today our new book is finally available and we couldn’t be happier to welcome Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day
We like to make the classic Pizza Margherita, it’s the ultimate in Italian toppings. In fact, the colors resemble the Italian flag and the pizza was named for the Italian queen, Margherita, because she fell in love with it. Nothing but tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. So pure and so tasty.
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Pizza Margherita
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day:
3 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Yeast
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
7 1/2 cups (scoop and sweep) unbleached all-purpose flour
Toppings:
1/3 cup tomato (Sauce recipe p. 109 or drain diced tomato straight from the can)
3 ounces Fresh Mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Fresh Basil
Olive oil for drizzling over the top before baking
Pinch of salt
Flour, cornmeal or parchment for the pizza peel
To make the dough: Use our dump and stir method of mixing the dough in a 5-quart Container with Lid, using a Danish Dough Whisk or wooden spoon. Then cover the container, not airtight and let it rest for about 2 hours on the counter. The dough can then be used right away, but it is much easier to handle once it has been thoroughly chilled. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks!
To make the pizza:
Preheat your oven to the highest setting, which will be 500 to 550°F, with a pizza stone in the bottom 1/3 of the oven. Depending on the thickness of your stone this can take between 20 and 40 minutes.
Pull out an 8-ounce piece of dough from your bucket and quickly form it into a ball, no more than 30 seconds of work. Let it sit on the counter while you gather your toppings.
Roll the ball out into a 1/8-inch-thick round. If the ball is resisting just let it sit for about 5 minutes and it will relax and allow you to work with it.
Sprinkle a Pizza Peel with flour. Spread the tomato over the dough.
Place the chunks of cheese over the sauce and drizzle with the olive oil.
Check for doneness in about 8 to 10 minutes, turn the pizza around if it seems to be browning on one side more than the other. It may take up to 5 more minutes.
Let the pizza cool slightly, so the cheese can set a little before cutting with a Pizza Cutter. This is best done on a cooling rack if you want to keep a crisp bottom crust.
I love pizza with peppers, red onions and bacon!
Too hard to choose just one… but probably pizza with prosciutto, roasted red peppers, basil, and goat cheese.
Being from Chicago, I love making 16″ stuffed pizza with 1 pound of each: mozarella, provolone, sausage, mushrooms, plus one can chopped black olives. Then another layer of dough over that, covered with a tomato sauce that has garlic, parmeggiano reggiano, olive oil, salt, oregano and basil. What a treat!
My family’s second choice (and mine) is a thin crust chicken and artichoke pizza in a white sauce.
Your pizza’s look amazing and I will have to try many recipies in your book as well.
I have been making pizza from the first book and we love it, can’t wait to try all the new tips from this book.
My favorite is the margherita pizza, so cripy
and simple.
Tonight, we’ll try putting pesto on the pizza.
Can’t wait!
heard you on Martha Stewart Radio and could not wait to get home and check out your website! At 61 and growing up in the deep south – ‘cleaning up’ old recipes to new healthy ones is not easy! I love pizza but it does not love me . . but with your new recipes and book . . . I can once again eat pizza!
THANKS!!
After a member of the family had a heart attack, we were told to limit the amount of pizza we ate. You’re books have put pizza back on the menu. I can make it with healthy ingredients and enjoy the great way the house smells and the great flavors. We like thin crusts the best with in season veggies and olives.
Margarita pizza is my absolute favorite. To be even more specific, the Margarita pizza made at Da Michele in Naples, Italy is the one that I try to recreate whenever possible.
Thank you for the chance to win this awesome package!
My favorite pizza is a white pizza, olive oil and then fresh vegetables and a good cheese on top.
I can hardly wait to buy your books. I heard you on the Martha Stewart radio yesterday and that is the reason I found your web page.
My favorite pizza is pesto, roasted garlic cloves(whole), thinly sliced potatoes and cheese.
homemade’s always best and we love making ours with a vegan creamy garlic sauce and veggies, but a close second is vegan pizza with rinatta from Pizza Luce
My favorite pizza is Hawaiian pizza. I can’t wait to get this book, I just added it to my wishlist for Christmas. My husband is addicted to the bread I make daily from “Artisan Bread in 5 Min a Day” 🙂
Nathalie— we have a Hawaiin in the new book…
I like a thin crust 4 cheese pizza and my favorite is pepperoni and onion. I bought a cast iron pizza pan and have tried it in the oven and am going to try it on my gas grill, soon I hope, depending on the weather in Tn!
I like the thin, chewy crust that has the black brown crispy spots on the bottom. Not sure if it has a name? Do you recommend the bare grill or the cast iron pizza pan on a gas grill for best results? I also have a stone, but am worried about breaking it on the gas grill.
Caro: Neapolitan Style? The stone won’t last forever, and I”m guessing it doesn’t do that well on a grill (some say they’re made for it, like the Emile HEnry Flame stone). I usually go bare grates— more on this in the new book.
Do you have information on how to cook Neopolitan Style Pizza on a cast iron pizza pan in the new book? I invested in one and want to try it on my Weber gas grill. Any advice such as how high the gas should be set? Pros/cons of placing directly on the cast iron grill vs cast iron pizza pan? I am very excited about the possibilities for great pizza in your new book.
I received your book today and I have been reading it all afternoon. Can’t wait to try some of the recipes, especially deep dish or Sicilian. I don’ think there is a pizza that I don’t like.
I use the Olive Oil dough all the time, and I like to top with mozzarella, Italian sausage, olives and mushrooms. When I’m feeling exotic, I add toasted hazelnuts.
I made the zucchini pizza you guys posted a short while back — that’s rocketed up to the top of my pizza faves list — going to make it again this weekend for a party. I’ve also been making a simple flatbread with olive oil, prosciutto, red peppers and a mix of romano or parmesan cheese with mozzerella. That’s my husband’s new favorite! I’ve been thinking of adding walnuts and blue cheese to that one…mmmm!
Love your books — love the breads!
My recent favorite pizza is a really cracker-thin crust brushed with a garlic-and-herb-infused olive oil and topped with goat cheese, crispy pancetta bits, sauteed maitake and red onion mushrooms and then my favorite blend of mozz, asiago, provolone, cheddar, romano and parm.
It sounds involved, but it’s worth it. 🙂
we call friday night pizza night in america. we make our own pizza often. my favorite unique topping is carmelized fennel and olives. amazing.
Traditional thin crust, margherita! Yum
I love onions, bell peppers, and most other vegetables. I would love to learn to bake pizzas at home.
I’m a huge fan of some smoked Gouda with caramelized onion on my pizza!
My favorite pizza is thin crust, little sauce, great cheese and one topping only.. I like it simple!
My favorite pizza has anchovies, pepperoni, and onion.
I love the basic white pizza. Yummmmmmmm. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’ve really enjoyed how you have grown over the last 5 years. I heard about the first book on NPR many years and have been hooked on the bread ever since. Thank you for allowing me to raise my kiddos on yummy bread. I have 6 year old g/b twins. They only will eat the “bread with the crunchy crust” !
I can’t wait to try the recipes! No more frozen pizzas. I live too far away from any pizza place for delivery, so this will be great.
I don’t remember its exact name, but my favorite pizza is the tomato-y shrimp pizza at Bertucci’s.
Today my favorite pizza is mushroom. Tomorrow it will probably be something else….
I love a veggie pizza with feta cheese and whatever great veggies I have on hand. Also love your ABin5! Can’t wait to have this book.
I like a thin crust pizza with pineapple, thinly sliced almond, and cinnamon.
I’m eager to try some of your new recipes. We like pizza with thin crust and toppings of mushrooms, black olives, green peppers, onions, marinara sauce and a blend of Italian cheeses.
I like my pizza with lots of veggies and not too much cheese. One of my favorite combinations is sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, greek olives, and feta.
Ooh what an awesome giveaway! My favourite pizza changes by the minute but have been SO wanting to make a chicken tikka pizza with bellpeppers and onions with your dough rolled really thin 🙂 Soon! some of my other favorite toppings include pepperoni, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, fennel bulbs…
Pizza with everything plus anchovies
Drew Barrymore Pletzel variation, with a thin whole wheat crust. Yummy
Thanks Steve. Drew, where are you, Steve and I want you to test this recipe! Jeff
Pretty simple… Bacon and onion
We love pizza! My oldest son is a veggie lover. My youngest and husband want meat, and all kinds of it. I just love them all!
So hard to choose one favorite pizza…maybe thin, smoky crust topped with a little garlic olive oil, mixed cheeses (fontina, gorgonzola, parmesan, mozzarella), crispy bacon and kale (sauteed with garlic in olive oil) – all toppings in small amounts. Nice variation would include some thinly sliced roasted winter squash like acorn.
Thanks so much for the inspiration your books provide. I use the recipes and techniques in your original book daily, and have given more copies away to friends and family than I can count!
I like veggie pizza with a basil pesto base, rather than a tomato sauce base (though I like that, too).
I love a bianca pizza- just a little olive oil and a combination of great cheeses on top, done nice and crisp!
I love pizza topped with a huge bunch of fresh arugula after baking!
I LOVE red peppers, onions and mushrooms on my pizza…oh and extra cheese! Yummy! I just started with this method of bread baking and can’t wait to explore Pizza dough. If only I had the pizza pan…hm…. 🙂
Your new book is on my Christmas list! My favorite pizza is Kalua Pork Pie found at Flatbread in North Conway NH. Now that I live in VA, I need to make my own artisan pizza!
I have only met one pizza that I didn’t like. It was a barbecued chicken pizza. My favorite pizza has peppers, onions, mushrooms, artichokes, black olives, and anchovies.
I have some pesto and pine nut dough in that refrigerator that would probably make an awesome crust.
I saw your demo last night in Atlanta. You guys were fabulous & I enjoyed EVERY pizza you made for us to sample.
Impossible to pick a favorite- so I will say the Roman one Dr. Jeff made with the honey and bi-colored sesame seeds. Never imagined I would eat those ingredients as a pizza topping (with the Mexican cheese too) !!!
Can’t wait for my first batch of dough to age for use early next week. 🙂
You made my day Lois!
I love the freshness and simplicity of margherita pizza but my favorite pizza has artichoke hearts, olives, and mushrooms.
Our usual is chicken sausage, bell peppers, red onion, corn kernels, mozzarella. We have homemade pizza nearly once a week. I’m also a fan of the traditional sausage & mushroom.
A thin crust pizza spread with ricotta, thinly sliced red onion, crumbled bacon, kalamata olives with a sprinkle of parmesan and sometimes a few shrimp scattered on top.
I was at your presentation in St. Peter, MN about a year ago and have been making your bread ever since. I’m looking forward to trying the pizza dough sometime soon!
My favorite pizza (at this moment) is peperoni and green olives.
Any homemade pizza! Love thin sliced fennel and prosciutto.