Margherita Pizza
By Middagsarkivet
- Medium
- 4 servings
Friday is pizza night across the Nordics, and has been since the frozen Grandiosa and the local pizzeria took over Scandinavian dinner tables in the 1980s. The homemade version is usually a margherita, partly because it is the cheapest, and partly because everyone at the table can agree on it before the toppings start getting negotiated.
Nordic home kitchens rarely have a wood oven, so this recipe is built around a regular oven cranked to its maximum with a baking steel or stone inside. That gets you most of the way to a blistered crust. The dough is made with all-purpose flour and active dry yeast, both of which behave perfectly well here, and rises in about an hour and a half on the counter.
The sauce is not cooked. Crushed tomato, salt, a little garlic, and olive oil go on raw and finish cooking on the pizza itself, which keeps the flavor fresh rather than jammy. Use fresh mozzarella in water if you can, and drain it well; low-moisture mozzarella works and browns more, but gives a less creamy result.
How to make it
- 1
Start the dough
Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water and let it sit until it looks cloudy and a little foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix to a shaggy dough.
- 2
Knead
Knead on a lightly floured counter until the dough is smooth and springs back when poked, about 8 minutes. It should be soft and slightly tacky, not sticky.
- 3
Let it rise
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave at room temperature until roughly doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- 4
Heat the oven
Put a baking steel or pizza stone on an upper rack and heat the oven to its maximum, at least 500°F (260°C), for 45 minutes. A hot surface is what gives the crust its blisters.
- 5
Mix the sauce
Stir the crushed tomato with the grated garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, oregano, and the pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp. Leave it raw.
- 6
Shape
Divide the dough in two, shape each piece into a tight ball, and let them rest 10 minutes. Press and stretch one ball into a 12-inch round on a floured peel or rimless baking sheet, leaving the outer inch thicker.
- 7
Top
Spread half the sauce over the round in a thin layer, stopping short of the rim. Scatter half the mozzarella over it and drizzle with a little olive oil.
- 8
Bake
Slide the pizza onto the hot steel and bake until the crust is browned and spotted and the cheese is bubbling, 6 to 9 minutes depending on your oven.
- 9
Finish
Scatter the basil over the hot pizza, grind over black pepper, and add Parmesan if you like. Shape, top, and bake the second pizza the same way, then cut both into wedges.
A couple of tips
Fresh mozzarella holds a lot of water. Tear it, drain it on paper towels for 10 minutes, and you will not get a puddle in the middle of the pizza.
Do not add basil before baking. At 500°F (260°C) the leaves turn black in two minutes; they go on after the pizza comes out.
If the dough fights back while you stretch it, stop and let it rest 10 minutes. It will relax and stretch without tearing.
What you need
- Baking steel or pizza stone
- Pizza peel or rimless baking sheet
Serving
Serve straight from the oven, cut into wedges, with a simple arugula or green salad dressed in olive oil and vinegar. A cold beer or a glass of red is the standard Nordic Friday accompaniment.
Storing it
Baked pizza keeps 3 days covered in the refrigerator and reheats best in a dry skillet over medium heat, 4 to 5 minutes with a lid, which keeps the base crisp. The dough can be refrigerated after kneading for up to 48 hours; take it out an hour before shaping.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 800 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 32 g |
| of which saturated | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 95 g |
| of which sugars | 6 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Protein | 28 g |
| Salt | 5 g |
Questions and answers
- Can you freeze pizza dough?
- Yes. Freeze the shaped dough balls after the first rise, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature before stretching.
- Can I use low-moisture mozzarella instead of fresh?
- Yes, and it browns more and releases less water. Shred about 10 ounces and expect a chewier, saltier pizza rather than a creamy one.
- What if I don't have a pizza stone or steel?
- Bake on an upside-down heavy baking sheet preheated in the oven for 30 minutes. The crust will be slightly less blistered but perfectly good.
- Can I make the sauce ahead?
- Yes, it keeps 4 days in the refrigerator and actually tastes better on day two. Do not cook it; it finishes in the oven.
- Why is my pizza soggy in the middle?
- Too much sauce, wet mozzarella, or an oven that was not hot enough. Use a thin layer of sauce, drain the cheese, and preheat the steel for a full 45 minutes.
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- 1 min 23 sec
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