48
Prepare the pizza dough and allow to rise. Position the top rack of the oven about 8 inches
from the top. If using a baking stone, place it on the rack. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
Insert the shredding disc. Use medium pressure to shred the mozzarella. Remove and
reserve. Stack 12 basil leaves; roll, use a knife to thinly slice. Repeat with the remaining
leaves. (This is called a chiffonade.) Reserve.
When the dough has risen, punch down and divide into 3 equal balls. Allow to rest 10
minutes. Roll each dough ball to size. Put on a baker’s peel that has been sprinkled with
cornmeal, or on a perforated pizza pan, a pizza screen or baking sheet without sides that has
been sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush edges with the olive oil. Using an offset spatula, spread
1
⁄
3
cup of the reduced Simple Tomato Sauce evenly over each 12-inch pizza, or spread 2½
tablespoons of the sauce on each 6-inch pizza. Sprinkle each pizza with one-quarter of the
basil chiffonade, then sprinkle each pizza evenly with the shredded mozzarella.
Carefully slide one pizza onto the stone (position the peel over the back edge of the stone,
and use a rocking motion to shake and slide the pizza off the peel onto the stone), or put the
pan into the hot oven. Bake the pizza for 5 minutes, then rotate it front to back for even bak-
ing. Bake for another 3 to 6 minutes, until the pizza is bubbly, and the edges of the dough
are golden brown, puffed and crispy. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining
fresh basil chiffonade, and let rest on a rack for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing. Repeat with
remaining two pizzas.
1
recipe Pizza Dough
(page 36)
9
ounces fresh mozzarella, well chilled
½
cup fresh basil leaves
1
cup Simple Tomato Sauce (page 50),
reduced version for pizza
1½
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 313 (28% from fat) • pro. 12g • carb. 44g • fat 9g
• sat. fat 4g • chol. 22mg • sod. 727mg • fiber 2g
Pizza Margherita
Some of the best things in life are the simplest.
Makes three 12–14 inch pizzas
Preparation: 1 hour for the pizza dough; 20 minutes plus
12 minutes baking and resting time