Pizza

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 into our happy family. We are so excited for you to get baking from it, so we’re posting one of our favorite doughs from the book. I have to admit it took us a while to decide which one to share, since our favorite seems to change with our moods. This Olive Oil Dough is fantastic for a thin crust, a thick crust and so many of our worldly flatbreads. No matter the technique you decide to try, you’ll love the results.

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

Marinara sauce, olive oil, fresh mozzarella and basil | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

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.

Pizza Dough | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

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.

Rolled out pizza dough | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

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.

Building a Pizza Margherita | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Sprinkle a Pizza Peel with flour. Spread the tomato over the dough.

Building a Pizza Margherita | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Place the chunks of cheese over the sauce and drizzle with the olive oil.

Pizza Margherita fresh from the oven | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

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.

Slicing Pizza Margherita | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

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.

801 thoughts to “Pizza Margherita! (CONTEST IS CLOSED)”

  1. I love the 5 minutes a day bread. My family LOVES fresh bread. I am ready to try the new pizza also. Thanks for something so quick and easy yet healthy.

  2. Whole wheat crust (basic AB5D made with half unbleached and half whole wheat), homemade tomato sauce with a lot of garlic and thyme in it, lots of shredded fresh brick cheese (local, right out of the brine tank so it is squeeky like a fresh mozzarella), fresh basil, picoline olives. Served with local Beer (Spotted Cow) chilled at 34F. Yum.

  3. I’ve loved baking from Healthy Bread in Five minutes a day. As I consider pizza to be one a major food groups – I’m very excited for your new pizza book!

  4. Mmmm… sounds soo good! Can’t wait for our next pizza night!

    My fav is pepperoni, sliced tomato, basil, and garlic. My hubby loves crumbled italian sausage with onions. Delicious!

  5. Mmmmmm! Reading all these pizza ideas is making me want pizza! Can’t wait for pizza night Friday. My 2 faves are pesto, tomato, basil. And grilled chicken, fontina, spinach, mushroom w/ white sauce. yum!

  6. I’ve been using your olive oil dough since I got your 1st book about a year ago. I just love to make it – thank you. I like veggie pizzas, meat pizza – any kind really!

  7. Favorite pizza? This is tricky! My favorite pizza memories involve a build your own pizza bar with good friends and wine 🙂 I’m so excited for the new book!

  8. Our favorite is DIY pizza. We prepare the whole wheat crust in individual-size pies. Guests add their choice of toppings. Never yet failed to please pizza-eaters from 4 to 84.

  9. Our household all come together to make a homemade supreme pizza with whole wheat dough made from the boule recipe in the first book. We like lots of fresh vegetables and some very lean meat, we use a blend of mozzarella and finely shredded cheddar cheese. It is always worth the work & wait to have this pizza.

  10. I like making a whole wheat pizza with lots of different cheeses and crispy bacon and pineapple – delicious and my kids will eat it! I am enjoying your Healthy Bread in 5 mins a day book and look forward to checking out the new book as well.

  11. I love onion, black olives and mushrooms on a homemade thick tomato sauce, with *enough* chevre to make ooey-gooey puddles across the top! Your crust is delicious and I’m so glad I attended your class at Sur la Table in Kirkland, Washington last night. I had a GREAT time! Thanks.

  12. Margherita with homegrown tomatoes and basil. Off season, local goat cheese & caramelized onion. THANK YOU for the gluten-free content in Healthy book!

    1. We need this SOOOO much! Your recipe looks so easy to prepare. This would be my first time making pizza from scratch, and about time too. If course it would have lots of cheese and I’d make it even healthier for my family with lots of fresh veggies.

  13. Our favorite pizza is a crust made with your master recipe and topped with homemade pizza sauce, pepperoni, hot italian sausage and what ever fresh veggies on hand. Then topped with a good italian cheese.

  14. Yummy Pizza! Loved your class last night at Sur la Table. The pizza Margharite is my favorite. I also loved the Apple Pizza you made for dessert. Definitely want to try that one! Delicious!

  15. I just purchased your “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” and plan on making pizza dough tomorrow. We usually put whatever we have on hand on our pizza…pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers and lots of cheese!

  16. I love New York city pizza joint pizza–not the designer stuff but the big, floppy slice they used to fold into a piece of wax paper to cope with the grease dripping from front to back and the flexible, chewy crust. Still haven’t figured a way to make a replica. Still working on it!

  17. I love margherita pizza and I love a good, crisp mushroom with truffle oil. Can’t wait to try the recipes in your book.

  18. I’ve been making 5 minute pizza since the first book came out. Olive oil, fresh tomato slices, basil, peppers, mushrooms and cheese – classic goodness.
    The new book looks like a good excuse to have a party!

  19. Blue Cheese / mozzarella pizza is by far my favorite one! I can’t wait to see the recipes you came up with for this book!

  20. My favorite pizza is basically a greek pizza… parmesan, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, onions, olives, feta and mozzarella

  21. Basic recipe from Healthy Bread in 5 for crust, Contadina tomato sauce with Parmigiano-Reggiano grated over, soppressata, Peppadew peppers, onions with some mozzarella over the top

  22. My favorite pizza is simple — thin crust topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese,then a couple of slices of fresh tomatoes, plus a sprinkle of pine nuts and garlic…. When fancy I add a little red onion too. Oh and then the fresh basil….

  23. I love making pizza and often have pizza night at our house for a large group of friends…I love the first book and am so excited to dive into Artisan Pizza!

  24. Best pizza I ever made used basically your peasant loaf recipe for the dough (with some flaxseed meal thrown in), no-cook sauce recipe from Cooks Illustrated, and topped with onions, peppers and freshly-gathered wild Oyster mushrooms. Oh, and a little sharp provalone mixed in with the mozzarella.

  25. You have awakened the inner baker in me!! And since I consider pizza to the be second most important food group after chocolate, you know I’m going to get this book, too!

    Thanks for all the Artisan efforts you do.

    BP

    1. Currently wanting a pepperoni, bacon, & sauteed red onions drizzled with honey.
      Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

  26. Ever since I got _Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day_ I have kept a container of the master or olive oil dough recipe in my fridge. And I have to admit, I most frequently make pizza with it.

    I love so many different kinds of pizza, but my favorite is “fridge pizza” to use up all the random bits of leftovers. It always turns out delicious due to the magic of pizza and your dough!

  27. Jeff & Zoë –
    We’ve been baking pizza for a couple of years with the recipes from your first two books. Tonight was the first night with a crust recipe from the new pizza book (we used the “pizza dough for throwing” recipe), and it was spectacular! I even threw the dough successfully in the air! Thanks so much! Best wishes to you – I hope to see you sometime at another book signing in the Twin Cities!

  28. My family & love5 minute bread & I’ve made one pizza with the master recipe. It was great & so easy! I have everyone at work (a bank) baking your bread too!

  29. OMG – Can’t wait to try the pizza. Love everything you guys do!

    Our favorite is arugula, prosciutto, feta (or goat) cheese, and halved grape tomatoes with shaved Parmesan on top. We make a home made or buy Whole Foods (bought fresh from their pizza counter) pizza dough, roll it out, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with crushed fennel seed and pre bake it until set. Then we put chunks of feta or dabs of goat cheese and the halved grape tomatoes on the pizza and put back into the oven until golden brown and the cheese is melted a bit. In the meantime we toss arugula, chopped basil and olive oil and lemon juice together and slice the prosciutto into slivers. And shave the Parmesan. When the pizza comes out of the oven, we pile the salad on top, lay the prosciutto and Parmesan on top. Oh boy it’s sooo wonderful!

  30. I love veggie pizza- tofu, eggplant, pineapple, peppers, olives tomatoes,onions and has to have jalapenos for heat . fresh mozarella is the best but 4 cheese grated cheese also gives good results

  31. well, my 2 favorites are chicken and spinach pizza and the other would definately have to be an all meat pizza w/ lots of mushrooms!

  32. Love your books! My favorite pizza is green pepper, mushroom, and black olive. A local favorite in my area is linguica pizza!

  33. ww crust with pesto, thinly sliced zucchini, mozzarella, crumbled goat cheese and dried cranberries sprinkled on top. Holy yum!

  34. PIZZA…that wonderful morsel of love. I enjoy baby swiss cheese, pepperoni, basil, sliced tomato, and hot banana peppers on a thin crust.

  35. Can’t wait to get my hands on the new book! Friday night is pizza night for our family.

    What I love about your dough and my favorite pizza:

    versatility- I use whatever dough I’ve made for the week for the crust and whatever veggies are left over from the week and always have pizza sauce in the freezer.

    fave pizza- I like: no sauce, olive oil, blue cheese and asparagus, pear, kale pizza!

  36. Just made my first master recipe batch today! The house smells AMAZING. Our favorite is the Margherita pizza. Classic and so good. Thank you, Thank you!

  37. My favorite pizza is with onion, green pepper and anchovies or chicken with lots of red pepper!! – Love your books. Thanks!

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