Classic Pizza Margherita

1. Preheat Oven

Preheat your oven to its highest setting, typically between 500°F (260°C) and 550°F (288°C), with a pizza stone or tiles placed inside. Allow at least an hour for the oven to heat thoroughly.

2. Prepare the Base

Lay the stretched pizza dough on a peel or baking sheet. Spoon on the tomato sauce, using the back of the spoon to spread it evenly across the dough, leaving a half-inch border uncovered.

3. Add Olive Oil

Drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil over the spread tomato sauce for an added layer of flavor.

4. Add Mozzarella

Distribute torn chunks of fresh mozzarella evenly over the sauced dough, leaving space in between for the cheese to melt and spread.

5. Add Basil

Scatter the roughly torn basil leaves over the top of the mozzarella, ensuring they are spread out across the pizza.

6. Bake the Pizza

Slide the prepared pizza onto the heated pizza stone in the oven and bake for 4 to 8 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has bubbled and slightly browned.

7. Serve

Remove the pizza from the oven, let it cool for a couple of minutes, then slice and serve hot.