Margherita Pizza... The Best Pizza Ever

Margherita Pizza

Fresh Organic Basil


Ingredients:
To make the Dough from scratch:
1 envelope of active dry yeast
2 cups of warm water
1/2 tsp of sugar
4 cups of all purpose flour, add more for kneading
Extra virgin Organic Olive oil

Toppings :
4 Organic Roma tomatoes
1/2 tsp of dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp of organic extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
2 whole Mozzarella rounds
15 fresh large basil leaves


MAKE THE DOUGH In a large bowl, mix the yeast with 1/2 cup of the warm water and the sugar and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of warm water, the 4 cups of flour and the kosher salt and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead, adding flour as necessary until a silky, but soft dough forms. Use a pastry scraper to help knead the dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and brush all over with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface; punch down and divide into 4 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Rub each ball with oil and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover the balls loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place for 1 hour.






Mozzarella Rounds



On a lightly floured surface, stretch one ball of dough into a 13-inch round; transfer to a floured pizza peel, adding flour where the dough sticks. Place sliced mozzarella rounds on the pizza and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with sea salt and pepper and slide the pizza onto the stone. Bake until the bottom is charred and the cheese is melted, about 8 minutes. Scatter one-fourth of the basil on top and let stand for 3 minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

*If you do not want to make the dough from scratch, there are shortcuts: purchase pre made dough (publix has some good dough), replace with pitas or flatbread... If I have time to make the dough then I do it.. This recipe takes alot of love to make.. So if I am in a rush I like using the flatbread, works great