Many people know that Margarita pizza is one of the most famous Italian traditional dishes, popular both in Europe and around the world. However, not everyone knows what the legend of the origin of this pizza is.
It is believed that soon after the unification of Italy in 1861, King Umberto I and Queen Margarita visited Naples. During her stay in this city, the Queen was fed up with French cuisine, which was standard throughout Europe at the time. She asked the local chefs to cook her something specific, Italian.
Local chef Raffaele Esposito, who worked at Brandi Pizzeria, came up with a special pizza with buffalo milk mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil. The Queen liked this dish, so pizza was named after her.
The chef Esposito was quite original because he simply used ingredients that match the colors of the Italian flag. Even in our time, Margarita is a symbol of Italian nationalism and an object of cultural pride.
To this day, many conservative cooking experts believe that Margarita is the only real pizza. In fact, it can be called one of the three classic Neapolitan pizzas with an STG rating. This means that there are standard rules and methods for creating a real Margherita. The Italian classic Margarita pizza recipe is respected to the present.
How is this dish prepared?
Of course, in the original version, pizza was baked in a stone oven, currently modern ovens and ovens are used. But all the same, you can cook Margarita pizza according to the classic recipe at home.
What is needed for this?
In order to cook this dish, you need the following:
For the test:
- 1 sachet of active dry yeast;
- 2 cups of warm water;
- half a spoonful of tea sugar;
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out;
- 2.5 tablespoons of kosher tea salt;
- extra virgin olive oil.
For filling:
- 400 grams of peeled whole tomatoes;
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano;
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin butter; coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper;
- 1 kg of buffalo mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced;
- 32 large basil leaves, manually torn to pieces.
How to do it?
The Italian classic pizza recipe Margarita (see the review for the photo of the dish) is as follows. In a large bowl, mix the yeast with half a glass of warm water and sugar, let stand until the foam rises, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining one and a half cups of warm water, 4 cups flour and kosher salt, and mix until a soft dough forms. Put it on a well-floured work surface and knead, adding flour as necessary, until a silky but soft dough appears.
Use a wooden spatula to better knead the dough. Transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl and brush on top with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days. Next, according to the classic Margarita pizza recipe, you need to do the following.
How to prepare pizza?
Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Crumple it and divide it into 4 parts. Shape each piece into a ball. Wipe each ball with oil and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover them with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a free from drafts place for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, put the pizza tray in the oven, preheat the latter to 260 degrees. Heat the tray in it for 45 minutes. Pass the tomatoes through a meat grinder or chop them in a food processor. They should be crushed, but not crushed into fine mashed potatoes. Mix the resulting mass with oregano and one tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. These are actions without which it is impossible to make a real, just according to the classic recipe, Margarita pizza.
How to bake Margarita?
On a lightly floured surface, roll one ball of dough into a round cake (about 30 cm in diameter). Spread a quarter of the cooked tomato mass on its surface, leaving the edges approximately 2.5 cm wide. Then evenly distribute a quarter of the chopped cheese, then pour one tablespoon of the oil on top. Season with salt and pepper and place the pizza on the tray. Bake until the bottom is browned and the cheese is melted. It takes about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the prepared pizza with the fourth part of the basil and let it stand for 3 minutes before serving.
Such actions are suggested by the classic Margarita pizza recipe. Repeat all the above steps with the remaining dough and filling.
Whole Grain Flour Option
As you can see, the dough in the classic Margarita pizza recipe is made from white flour. But it is quite possible to diversify the composition of the dish and use flour from whole grains of wheat. It will seem strange to many, but a whole-wheat flour tortilla does not have to look like cardboard. If you cook it correctly, you can make Margarita pizza more healthy and less nutritious.
It is best to prepare this dough the day before you bake pizza so that it has time to brew. In addition, the aroma is always enhanced with a longer fermentation time. Then you can cook Margarita pizza according to the classic recipe indicated above. In total you will need:
- 5 cups cereal wheat flour;
- 1 ¾ teaspoon of tea salt;
- 2 tablespoons olive oil;
- 2 teaspoons of tea sugar;
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast (active dry);
- 1¾ cup cold water plus 2 tablespoons;
- 1 tablespoon of cornmeal.
How to make whole grain dough?
Use a large metal spoon to mix all the ingredients in a deep bowl until fully combined. Then mix everything with a mixer at low speed for about 4 minutes, or until you manage to form a ball. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then mix again at medium speed for 2 minutes. If it is too soft and sticky, add a little flour.
Transfer the dough to the table, wipe with flour to absorb surface moisture, then roll into a ball. Place in a bowl greased with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise at room temperature for one and a half times, then take it out, roll it into a ball and return it to the bowl, cover and cool for at least 2 hours.
Multiple Cheeses Option
As can be understood from the above, the composition of Margarita pizza - according to the classic recipe - includes tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. But, in addition to the original old version, there were many augmented versions that taste no worse. Chefs often go for experiments and combine the composition of several dishes in one. So there was Margarita pizza with four cheeses. This is a rather interesting version of Italian classics. It’s easy to cook, but it turns out such a pizza is delicious!
For this interesting version of the dish you will need:
- 1/4 cup olive oil;
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic;
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt;
- 8 medium tomatoes, chopped;
- 2 (25 cm diameter) pre-baked pizza cakes;
- 250 grams of chopped mozzarella cheese;
- 150 grams of crushed fountain cheese;
- 10 fresh basil leaves, washed and dried;
- half a glass of fresh Parmesan - grated;
- half a glass of crumbled feta cheese.
How to cook Margarita pizza with four cheeses?
Combine olive oil, garlic and salt, combine with finely chopped tomatoes (without skins) and let stand for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
Lubricate each pizza base with tomato mass evenly. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella and fountain cheeses. Place the remaining tomato mass on top, then sprinkle with chopped basil, parmesan and feta cheese. Bake in a preheated oven until the cheese becomes bubbly and golden brown. It takes about 10 minutes.