---
title: Perfect Pizza (Margherita)
description: Gennaro Contaldo's classic margherita — dough for 4 pizzas, topped with tomato, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil.
source: https://youtu.be/1-SJGQ2HLp8
author: Gennaro Contaldo (Food Tube)
changes:
  - Optional sauce: household Pizza Sauce in addition to video garlic passata
servings: 4
prep time: 30 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes
time required: 3 hours
course: main
cuisine: Italian
tags:
  - pizza
  - dough
  - margherita
  - italian
  - scaling
---

== Dough ==

In a #bowl{}, mix @strong bread flour{500%g} with @salt{1%tsp} first (keep salt from sitting directly on the yeast). Add @dried yeast{7%g}(1 sachet) and @warm water{325%ml}. Mix with a spoon, then knead by hand — pull and fold until smooth.

Dust with a little flour, divide into 4 balls (about 150 g each). Dust a tray with @semolina{}(or breadcrumbs if you don't have semolina), set the dough balls on it, dust the tops with flour, cover with a damp cloth, and proof for at least ~{2%hours} until roughly doubled.

== Shape & Top ==

Press each ball from the center outward with your fingers, leaving a thicker rim (Neapolitan-style lip). Stretch gently from the edges — don't tear holes in the middle.

Spread a thin layer of @passata{1%cup}(or crushed tomatoes flavored with garlic; or @./basics/Pizza Sauce{} — don't overload) from the center outward. Drizzle with @extra-virgin olive oil{}, and season with a little @salt{}.

Scatter @Parmesan cheese{} lightly over the tomato. Tear @mozzarella{200%g}(~50 g per pizza) by hand over the top. Tear @fresh basil{} over the pizza and drizzle with a little more olive oil.

== Bake ==

Preheat the #oven{} as hot as it goes — ideally with a #pizza stone{} inside — or use a wood-fired oven if you have one.

Dust a #pizza peel{} with @semolina{}, transfer the pizza, and bake until the crust is blistered and the cheese is melted. Repeat for the remaining pizzas.