Recipes Comfort Food Pizza + Calzones Thin Crust Pizza Margherita Pizza with Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Be the first to rate & review! When it comes to toppings for this Margherita pizza, less is more, especially with sauce. And when you spread the sauce on the dough, it's key to leave a 1-inch border around the edge to ensure the perfect mozzarella pizza. Slideshow: More Great Pizza Recipes By Thomas McNaughton Thomas McNaughton Instagram Named one of Food & Wine's Empire Builders in 2012, star chef Thomas McNaughton is the co-founder and CEO of the San Francisco-based Flour + Water Hospitality Group, which operates Flour + Water, Penny Roma, Flour + Water Pasta Shop, and Trick Dog. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 21, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photo by Joel Goldberg / Food Styling by Mallory Lance Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Yield: 1 10-inch pizza Ingredients One portion Perfect Neapolitan Pizza Dough 1/2 cup pizza sauce 1/4 pound thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese 10 fresh basil leaves Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for grating Directions Set a pizza stone on a rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500° for at least 45 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and let stand for 20 minutes. Working on a floured surface and using your fingers, press and stretch the dough ball out to a 10-inch round, working from the center toward the edge; avoid pressing on the outermost edge. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured pizza peel. Spread the Pizza Sauce onto the dough, making sure to leave a 1-inch border around the edge, and top with the mozzarella cheese, basil leaves, a drizzle of the extra-virgin olive oil and a light grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Turn the oven to broil for 5 minutes, then return it to 500°. Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone, opening and closing the oven door as quickly as possible. Bake until the bottom is lightly charred and the toppings are bubbling, about 6 minutes for a chewier crust and 8 minutes for a crispier one; avoid opening the oven door during baking. Rate it Print