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Pizza Margherita

Two 9- to 10-inch pizzas

Crust

  • 1 cup warm water (105°–115°F)
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Toppings

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup canned finely chopped Italian tomatoes
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, partially frozen
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh basil leaves, optional

Mix water and honey in a small bowl. Add yeast and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy (5 minutes). Add 2 1/2 cups flour to a large bowl; make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture, salt, and oil to well. Stir gently to form a soft dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 7 to 10 minutes, adding only as much flour as necessary. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Roll dough to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover with a towel and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to bake in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly flour two baking sheets. Roll out and stretch dough to form two 9- to 10-inch circles. Place crusts on prepared baking sheets. Brush each crust with oil. 

Combine tomatoes and garlic in a small bowl. Spread over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Sprinkle chopped basil over tomatoes. Fit SaladShooter® slicer/shredder with Shred Cone and shred mozzarella cheese over basil. Top with cherry tomatoes. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust begins to brown.

Use SaladShooter® to shred Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the baked pizza. Garnish with basil leaves, if desired.

Click here for more information on our line of quality Presto® Slicer/Shredders.

Pizza Margherita
Presto Tip:

Need to make the dough ahead of time? Make dough and let it rise for 1 hour. Punch down, form into a ball, place in a freezer bag, and freeze (good for about 3 months). When ready to use, place in refrigerator the night before it’s needed. Remove from fridge and let set (still in the bag) for 1 hour. Remove from bag, shape to desired size, and place on pan. Cover and let dough come to room temperature before topping with other ingredients.