Pizza Margherita

First make the marinara (the recipe makes much more than you’ll need for the pizza, but it freezes great & is excellent with pasta):

Add olive oil to large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until it’s translucent – about 7 or 8 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper and bay leaves and stir together. Turn heat to low and simmer for about an hour. Taste frequently. It’s delicious.

While the marinara is simmering, preheat the oven to 450. If you’re using a pizza stone, make sure to place it on the bottom rack of the oven and give it plenty of time to heat up.

Now onto the pizza dough:

Combine the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl. Add warm water to a separate small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top until it is foamy (about 10 minutes or so). I’m lazy, so I actually do this in the measuring cup instead of a separate bowl – fewer dishes. When the yeast is ready, add the water to the flour and salt mixture and add the olive oil. Mix with a fork until mostly combined and then mix using your hands until you have a nice, sticky ball. Knead the dough for about a minute or until smooth. Lightly coat the bottom of the bowl with olive oil and add the ball of dough, turning once to coat the dough with oil. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set aside.

Let the dough rise for 1 – 1 1/2 hours.

Once the dough has risen, place onto a floured surface and gently pat down to remove the air. I actually like to roll out my dough on a piece of aluminum foil and then keep it on the foil to cook on the pizza stone for about three minutes. This adds extra crispiness to the crust and makes it easier to work with when you add toppings.

After it has cooked for three minutes, remove the dough from the foil and add the toppings. Spread the fresh marinara all over the pizza. Add the fresh mozzarella and sliced fresh basil.

Bake at 450 degrees directly on the pizza stone for 5-6 more minutes until done.

Bon appétit!