Friday, October 27, 2017

Margherita Pizza recipe, Pizza Margherita

Pizza Margherita | Margherita pizza is a classic cheesy pizza uses mainly cheese and tomatoes for topping. Generally we add veggies like capsicum ,sweet corn, baby corn, olives for pizza topping. I have posted Tandoori paneer pizza (with video)too which is again a classic pizza with Paneer toppings. This morning i planned to make pizza for kids when they are back from school. I asked them about the topping options and Varsha suggested Margherita pizza and Varun too agreed to that. Approval form both the kids for a dish is a bliss. Moms with 2 kids will vouch for this. Treat your family with this easy Margarita pizza recipe this weekend.

Margherita Pizza recipe

Preparation Time : 15 mins + resting time 1 hour | Cooking Time : 20 Mins |Serves: 2

For the Pizza Dough
For the pizza dough (for 4 thin pizza base)
Bread flour | All purpose flour 2 cups
Active Dry Yeast 1 tsp
Warm water 3/4 cup to 1 cup
Salt 3/4 tsp
Sugar 1/2 tsp

Olive oil 1 tsp
For the pizza topping (for 1 pizza)
Pizza sauce or Pasta sauce 1-2 tblsp
Cherry tomatoes 5-6
Salt a pinch
Mozarella cheese 1/3 cup
Olive oil 1 tsp
Red chili flakes few (optional)
Basil leaves few

Method:

For my Tandoori paneer pizza recipe, i used bread flour, for this margherita pizza i used all purpose flour. You can use half of maida and half of whole wheat flour too.
In a saucepan warm the water and add the yeast to this. Ensure that the water is not hot and just warm.
If it is hot the yeast will die and the dough will not rise.
Also ensure the yeast is active and new. Very old yeast will not be good and will not make the dough raise.
Add salt and sugar to the water.
Mix well and keep it aside for 10 minutes. The yeast must have frothed up. If not the yeast is not active. If any case the yeast is not frothing up do not proceed with the recipe.
In a wide bowl add the flour and make a dent in the center.
Pour the yeast water into this and start kneading the dough.
Knead into a soft dough and add 1 tsp of olive oil.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep it aside for an hour.
If you are living in a cold place, keep it inside the kitchen cupboard or inside the oven(without switching it on)
For me the dough doubled in an hour. Divide them into 4 equal parts.
While the dough is resting, cut the cherry tomatoes into half.
In a bowl add the halved tomatoes, few basil leaves, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of olive oil and red chili flakes(if using).
Mix well. This mixture we are using for the topping of the margherita pizza.
Take out one portion of dough and roll it out into a thin crust pizza.
Dust with dry flour before rolling.
In a baking plate, grease with little oil and put a parchment paper on this. This will help in avoiding the melted cheese sticking to the bottom of the pan.
No need to poke the this with the fork as we generally do for other pizza.
Sprinkle the sauce on the pizza base. I used store bought pasta sauce.
Spread this on the base, evenly.
Generally Parmesan cheese is sprinkled on this stage. Since Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian, i don't use it.
If you want you can add Mozarella cheese too.
Place the cherry tomato mixture on the top of this.
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on the top of the pizza.
Bake this at 150 degrees in a pre heated oven for 15 minutes or till the cheese melts.
Take this out from the oven and sprinkle some fresh basil leaves on the top.
Pizza margherita | Margherita pizza is ready to serve.

Method with step wise pictures:

For my Tandoori paneer pizza recipe, i used bread flour, for this margherita pizza i used all purpose flour. You can use half of maida and half of whole wheat flour too.
In a saucepan warm the water and add the yeast to this. Ensure that the water is not hot and just warm.
If it is hot the yeast will die and the dough will not rise.
Also ensure the yeast is active and new. Very old yeast will not be good and will not make the dough raise.
Add salt and sugar to the water.
Mix well and keep it aside for 10 minutes. The yeast must have frothed up. If not the yeast is not active. If any case the yeast is not frothing up do not proceed with the recipe.

In a wide bowl add the flour and make a dent in the center.
Pour the yeast water into this and start kneading the dough.
Knead into a soft dough and add 1 tsp of olive oil.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep it aside for an hour.

If you are living in a cold place, keep it inside the kitchen cupboard or inside the oven(without switching it on)
For me the dough doubled in an hour. Punch down the dough.

Divide them into 4 equal parts.
Dust with dry flour before rolling.

While the dough is resting, cut the cherry tomatoes into half.
In a bowl add the halved tomatoes, few basil leaves, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp of olive oil and red chili flakes(if using).
Mix well. This mixture we are using for the topping of the margherita pizza.

Take out one portion of dough and roll it out into a thin crust pizza.
In a baking plate, grease with little oil and put a parchment paper on this. This will help in avoiding the melted cheese sticking to the bottom of the pan.

No need to poke the this with the fork as we generally do for other pizza.
Sprinkle the sauce on the pizza base. I used store bought pasta sauce.
Spread this on the base, evenly.

Generally Parmesan cheese is sprinkled on this stage. Since Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian, i don't use it.
If you want you can add Mozarella cheese too.
Place the cherry tomato mixture on the top of this.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on the top of the pizza.
Bake this at 150 degrees in a pre heated oven for 15 minutes or till the cheese melts.
Take this out from the oven and sprinkle some fresh basil leaves on the top.