In baking Magherita pizza for 2-4 servings, you will spend a total of 2 hours 45 minutes, with 20 minutes as preparation time, 2 hours resting time and 15 minutes cooking time.

The following ingredients are needed to make your magherita pizza.

Pizza dough ingredient;

• 300g  of all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 tablespoon full of  all- purpose flour semolina or semolina to make the pizza peel
• 200g of warm water
• ½ teaspoon of yeast
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt

Pizza toppings;

• ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 5-6 basil leaves
• 2-3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 2-3 pinches of kosher salt
• 200g of mozzarella cheese cut into smaller unit of half inches each.
• 1 cup of crushed canned tomatoes
• Dried red pepper crushed into flakes
• 2-3 tablespoonful of parmigiano- reggiano cheese finely grated

Directions to making your dough

Step 1

Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast and salt together in a bowl, then add warm water and oil. Stir the mixture together continuously using a wooden spoon or a turner until the dough comes together. Do not get worried about the rough and dry look of the dough.

Step 2

Remove the dough from the bowl and put it on a baking top, then knead it for about 3 minutes to make it stick together.  Sprinkle flour on the dough to dust it as needed so that it does not stick to your baking top anymore. Knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic and non-sticky. Then place the dough in a mixing bowl already greased with oil.

Step 3

Place the bowl in a warm area in your kitchen and allow the dough to rise to at least twice its earlier size. If your kitchen is cold, you can heat a cup of water in your microwave oven, then remove the water and put the bowl containing the dough inside the microwave oven to allow it to rise.

Directions to making the sauce

Assemble the ingredients for your sauce in a bowl, then stir the crushed tomatoes, pepper, olive oil, minced garlic, and salt together to make a paste

Directions to making the toppings

Cut your mozzarella cheese into a smaller cube shape and gently pat it with a clean towel to remove excess moisture on it. Your grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese should also be set aside within your reach.

Directions to baking the pizza

• Separate the dough into two equal part and place it on a baking top covered with a towel, allow it to rest for about 5- 10 minutes. Spread one ball of the dough on the baking top and make sure the center of the dough is thin. Then sprinkle cornmeal on your pizza peel and transfer the pizza dough on the pizza peel.

• In the middle of your oven rack, place a pizza stone or tiles in it and heat it for the duration of an hour at the highest oven temperature

• Slightly brush the dough with olive oil and spread your tomato sauce evenly across the surface spread dough with the back of a spoon, do not let it reach the edge.  Sprinkle your parmiggiano- reggiano cheese, about a tablespoon onto the sauce and place your mozzarella cheese in the sauce gently, then carefully sprinkle the basil leaf torn with your hand over the top of the pie.

• Slide the pizza into the preheated tiles or stone from the pizza peel. Bake your pie until it shows a golden brown color and your cheese bubbling and caramelized, and make sure you turn it over after about 4 minutes for uniform cooking. The pie should be baked for about 7-8 minutes.

• Use the pizza peel to remove the pizza from the oven and transfer it to a foil or a cutting board. Then drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle the remaining grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and fresh basil. Your delicious magherita pizza is ready to be served.