Recipe for pizza Margherita

The pizza Margherita is named after the Bourbon Principessa Margherita.  The name Margherita means "daisy" in Italian.  The Pizza Marherita, was the favorite of the Pricipessa Margherita, and is the basic and the original neapolitan pizza.  The pizza  contains dough, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, and basil.

Ingredients:

3/4 pound of pizza dough (I either make my own dough,or to save time, one place I get my dough is from Market Hall, The Pasta Shop, in the Rockridge district of Oakland, cA- $3.95)
*Recipe for pizza dough will be in next post.

Semolina or cornmeal for dusting

1 T. olive oil, preferably extra virgin (I also use grape seed oil)

1/2 tomato sauce  - I also get my sauce at The Pasta Shop ($4.00 for a container)

2 oz. of mozzarella cheese (I  either shred fresh, or to save time I've used  the container of pizza blend also at The Pasta Shop.  The Pizza Blend at Market Hall contains both Mozzarella and Provolone.  It is $3.46 for a container.)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cuploosely packed fresh basil leaves (1 small bunch)

1/4 cup freshly ground parmesan cheese

Pizza Stone, I use the one by Bialetti, by Bradshaw International.  I have had to replace my stone a few times over the years as it will crack if not treated delicately.

Directions:
I place a clean pizza stone (or an inverted baking sheet)  in the lowest rack of a cold oven.  I lightly sprinkle the stone with cornmeal.  Do not use flour on the pizza stone as it will burn.   Then, preheat oven for 30 minutes at 500F or the highest setting.

Place dough in a lightly floured surface and pat into a disk.  Then, use a rolling pin or your hands to to roll, spin with your hands (I learned this trick at Shakeys pizza parlour when I worked there as a teenager!  Or, stretch the dough into a circle that is 1/4 " inch thick and 10 to 12 inches in diameter.  Transfer to a semolina or cornmeal dusted pizza peel or inverted baking sheet.

Then, brush the dough with a little olive oil or other vegetable oil to the edge.  Spread tomato sauce over the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge.  Place shredded mozzarella or slices over the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange basil leaves over the mozzarella.  Sprinkle with parmesan, and then drizzle with remaining olive oil.

Then, using the pizza peel, very carefully slide the pizza onto the heated pizza stone and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the bottom of the pizza is crisp and browned and the top is bubbling.

When pizza is done, use oven mitts to take the stone out and place on a carrying rack.  If you are using a pizza stone, it cannot be put on an open flame.