Margherita
Jul 10th, 2008 | By Peter Minakis | Category: Baking, Dough, Herbs, How To, Italian, Pizza, Recipe, Sauce
In 1889, the pizza was named after Margherita, Queen consort of the kingdom of Italy. The pizza bears the three colours of the Italian flag: red tomatoes, green basil and white mozzarella.
To this day, the citizens of Naples still debate, argue, compete for what is the most authentic pizza, the best ingredients and argue about which ingredients are used and how it’s constructed.
There’s no way I’m going to walk through this mine field and even if I visited Naples, I’m sure I’d still piss off someone from there.
Having said that, you can be sure there’s absolutely no tolerance for Hawaiian pizza with pineapple, no Greek pizza with feta or worst still, an improvised pizza of salami, use of any leftover white cheese left in the fridge or the use of canned mushrooms.
I will be in Greece soon and although I’ll be elbow deep in fabulous Greek food, pizza will not be one of the foods I will enjoy.
Greeks (in Greece) love pizza but it’s not pizza as the Italians or American Italians know it. Frankly, by and large it’s horrible!
I still shudder at the use of leftover cheeses such as Gouda, Milner or even grated Kasseri as a topping. It gets worse…no pepperoni but greasy salami or ham becomes the meat portion.
There’s very little sauce on the pizza and jarred or canned mushrooms make even the decent made pizzas soggy!
There are some good pizza makers in Greece now but the bad still outnumber the good pizzerias. The Greeks have always made wonderful dough and pizza crust and lately I’m seeing wood burning ovens and the use of more traditional pizza ingredients.
If it sounds like I’m slamming pizza in Greece, well I am. However, I’m doing you a favour…you’ll be well rewarded by instead eating local, fresh and regional Greek cuisine. Leave the pizza behind for movie night or the big game. You’re on vacation…eat local, eat Greek…why not try out the Ladenia or go old skool and have a whack at the Pizza Margherita.
Pizza Margherita
(makes 1 large pizza or 2 small)
For the Dough
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 heaping tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
Approx. 3 – 3 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
For the Topping
hand crushed can of San Marzano plum tomatoes
2-3 cloves of minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
dried oregano
fresh Mozzarella cheese
hand-torn fresh basil leaves
Pre-heated 400F oven
- In a large bowl, add your yeast, sugar, and warm water and allow about 7-10 minutes to activate (as evidenced with the bubbling). Now add your salt and olive oil add about 2 cups of flour into the mixture. Keep on adding flour while kneading on a floured work surface until your dough is pliable and no longer sticks to your hands. NOTE: (flour amounts vary from 3 to 3 1/4 cups flour, depending on the weather you are experiencing and how the flour and yeast react.
- Spread some olive oil on your round baking pan and sprinkle some fine semolina flour. Roll out your pizza dough to the size of pizza you desire. You may now preheat your oven.
- After hand-crushing your plum tomatoes, tear them up and spread the tomatoes over the surface of your dough. Season with some salt and pepper and sprinkle the minced garlic and dried oregano over the sauce.
- Now cut (or hand tear) your Mozzarella cheese and spread it over the surface of your pizza (do not entirely cover your pizza with cheese, it will melt).
- Bake on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes or until the edges start to brown and your cheese has just melted and browned just a bit.
- As soon as the pizza is out of the oven, tear your basil leaves and spread them over the surface of the pizza.
- Serve immediately with cold beer or a bottle of good red wine.
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Pizza is one of those things that seems simple, but is so easy to get utterly wrong. Yucky cheese and stodgy crusts are my bugbear. That was before the thought of tinned mushrooms had been put in my head.
Now that’s disgusting.
Btw, your pizza looks great – but I still wouldn’t eat it if I was in Greece
Holding out for the local dishes!!
Looks like a damn fine Margerita to me, Peter. If the Neapolitans don’t want it, you can send it over in my direction…
Real pizza!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay! I’m jumping through my kitchen with joy, which confuses the dog. Thanks for posting this – some of what some people call pizza out there frightens me.
ps – who goes to a culinary paradise like Greece for pizza???
Pete, this is one of the most beautiful pizzas I have ever seen!
Hi Peter, I´ve been reading your blog for a few months now, and I love your recipes. On July 10th is the Pizza day in São Paulo (Brazil). Since yours is as yammi as ours I decide to write you and congrat you for the FANTASTIC PIZZA.
That pizza looks perfect with just the right topping!
Friday, at our house, it’s pizza night. I love to make the dough, that only takes 2 min. in the food processor. I let it rise for 45 min. and bake it in a warm oven for 8 min. I like to top it up with a homemade sauce, pepperoni, green olives, mushrooms, a good mozza cheese. Soon I want to try to cook it on the BBQ. I only wish I had a wood pizza oven.
Four days away from my food blog network and one of the first things I see is this amazing looking pizza…
Now I’m hungry!! Pass a slice my way!
I am so completely with you about eating the food of the locals no matter where you are. Pizza, what a loaded conversation (pun intended).
Roberto is OBSESSED with pizza. He lives for it, and has only once in the 10 years he has live here, admitted to having pizza as good as in Italy. Yours looks very tasty though my friend, and I am sure even the purists would have to agree!
Ahh margherita my favourite, wish I could say that for the majority of our customers in Ireland, the more you can pile on the better esp the pineapple and sweetcorn – YUK!!! We changed our pizza menu recently to highlight the more authentic Italian pizzas but I think we will probably have to change back again because they aren’t selling:(
Mmmm.. pizza.
Was there ever a more perfect hand held food?
Your crust and toppings look perfect – all you need is a cold beer to go with it.
I love the simple flavors of this pizza. It is always a favorite!
Hey Peter – your pizza looks perfect – we use exactly the same crust recipe. Nice of you to stop by my blog – as previously noted, I am always checking in on yours! And, if I haven’t said it before, your photos are fanastic!
David, kids love pizza and you’re a clever dad to get the kids in on making pizza.
Kittie, nothing worse than tinned/jarred mushrooms…go fresh or just don’t use them!
Forkful, I get the impression my “Paisan” friends like my Margherita.
Fearless, I might have a pizza once during my holiday, usually in the company of relatives but it’s not my preference…I can eat pizza any other time.
Patricia, thanks…it tasted as good as it looks.
Hi Laila and welcome. Thank you for adding a comment and I hope you’ll visit often.
Kat, thank you…a good balance of ingredients me thinks.
Culinography…catch but it’s hot!
Jenn, you know I enjoy good food but I also pay respect and homage to the indigenous cuisine. I think I had a pizza here an Italian would love.
Ahh Loraine…baby steps…offer up the real pizza as a special…they’ll get it.
Natashya…nice that you mention “hand held”…I still see some eat pizza with cutlery…C’mon!!!!
Eat, the KISS principle rules here.
Lisa, great to know this dough recipe is popular and successful. I don’t get how people buy that frozen crap at the supermarket.
You’re speaking to me here, Peter. This is my favorite pizza. Nicely executed! I do a version with thinly sliced fresh tomatoes (topped with a little salt, sugar, pepper, and olive oil) baked until steaming hot and then ‘Bam!’ fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, and capers served fresh right away. Yours looks terrific! I love the addition of garlic to the crushed tomatoes.
By far this is still my favourite pizza:D
Your pizza looks good Peter! I have heard that the definition of a good pizza or in fact the pizza, varies from family to family.
You are really gearing up for your holiday now, aren’t you? I hope you have a great time
ps count how many drinks you are being poured after hours!
I’ve tasted a few pizzas in greece and some of them are fantastic. I personally don’t like mozarella – it doesn’t have any flavour. A nice mild Gouda on pizza tastes delicious.
We would like to feature this recipe on our blog. Please email haleyglasco@gmail.com if interested. Thanks
Haley
http://blog.keyingredient.com/
I so agree with what you said about pizza in Greece. A few friends of mine, even my fiance, claim there is a “great pizza,” so I try it and it’s horrible. I make my own crust, so we eat my pizza now.
I’m game to try this one, however, as I’m always open to anything that may be better or at least different. Looks good!
Ooooh, I love a good pizza post. This is great. When I studied in Italy I remember trying pizza in every town I visited b/c everyone was so proud of their local style. I have to admit that the margherita that I had in Napoli was the best… but that was almost 20 years ago. I should go back now & re-do my survey.
Have fun in Greece!
xoxox Amy
I never knew the history behind the margherita pizza. I feel all educated now! Thanks!
As for the greek pizza… it’s just as well you’ll have all that other fabulous food to be feasting on!
Funny how your tastes change as you get older… I used to like as many crazy toppings as possible on a pizza (and I have to say, don’t knock strips of tender peppered steak, caramelised onions and chunkcs of feta till you’ve tried it…!). But these days I’d far sooner have very few toppings and absolutely brilliant ingredients. Like your pizza, for example
Looks fantastic!