Margherita Pizza Recipe: Classic Neapolitan Style

Last updated: August 12, 2026

Last updated: August 2026. This post contains affiliate links — if you buy through them I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure.

We have cooked margherita pizza hundreds of times and consider it the best test of a pizza oven setup. When the fundamentals are right, nothing beats a simple margherita.

The margherita is what we make to test a new batch of dough or a new oven. It’s our reference point for everything else – and this recipe is the version we’ve been making for years.

The margherita is what we make to test a new batch of dough or a new oven. It’s the reference point – and this recipe is the version we’ve been making for years.

This margherita pizza recipe is straightforward once you have got the technique down.

A margherita pizza is the foundation of everything. Get this right and every other pizza you make will be better for it. The best margherita uses just three toppings – tomato, mozzarella and basil – and relies entirely on quality ingredients and a properly hot oven.

Ingredients (makes 2 pizzas)

For the Dough

• 300g 00 flour
• 195ml warm water
• 4g fast-action dried yeast
• 6g fine salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the Topping

• 200g good quality passata or tinned San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 125g fresh mozzarella (fior di latte or buffalo)
• Fresh basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of sea salt

Make the Dough

Mix the yeast and sugar into the warm water and leave for 5 minutes until frothy. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil, then mix until a rough dough forms. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Divide into 2 equal balls, place on a floured tray, cover and refrigerate overnight (or rise at room temperature for 2 hours if cooking same day). For the full method and tips, see our pizza dough recipe.

Make the Tomato Sauce

The sauce for a margherita should be uncooked – this is important. Simply crush the tinned tomatoes by hand or blitz passata with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. That’s it. No cooking, no garlic, no herbs in the sauce. The heat of the pizza oven does all the work. For a full recipe and variations, see our pizza sauce recipe.

Prepare the Mozzarella

This step is often skipped but makes a real difference. Tear the mozzarella into pieces and lay them on kitchen paper. Pat dry and leave to drain for 20-30 minutes. Wet mozzarella releases water during cooking and makes the pizza soggy. Draining it properly means you get creamy, melted cheese rather than a watery pool.

Preheat the Pizza Oven

Light your pizza oven and preheat to 450-930°F. The stone floor should be at full temperature before you launch the pizza. Use an infrared thermometer to check the stone temperature – aim for 430-900°F on the stone surface. This takes around 15-20 minutes on gas, 25-35 minutes on wood.

Stretch the Dough

Remove a dough ball from the fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking. On a lightly floured surface, press the ball flat with your fingertips, pushing from the center out. Leave a thicker rim for the crust. Then lift the dough and stretch it gently over your knuckles, rotating as you go, until you have a 10-12 inch round. For full technique, read our guide on how to stretch pizza dough.

Place the stretched dough on a lightly floured or semolina-dusted pizza peel.

Top the Pizza

Work quickly once the dough is on the peel – it will start to stick if you leave it too long.

• Spoon 80-100g of tomato sauce onto the dough and spread thinly, leaving a 2cm border
• Scatter the drained mozzarella pieces evenly across the sauce
• Add a small pinch of sea salt
• Do not add the basil yet – it goes on after cooking

Cook the Pizza

Slide the pizza off the peel and onto the hot stone in one confident motion. In a pizza oven at 450-930°F, the margherita will be done in 60-90 seconds. Watch it carefully – the crust will puff and char slightly, the cheese will bubble and the tomato will darken.

Rotate the pizza 180 degrees after 30-40 seconds if one side is cooking faster. Use your peel to check the base – it should be golden and slightly charred in spots.

Finish and Serve

Remove the pizza to a board or wire rack. Immediately tear fresh basil leaves over the top and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil. Serve straight away – pizza is at its best in the first 2-3 minutes out of the oven.

Tips for the Perfect Margherita

• Use San Marzano tomatoes if you can find them. They’re sweeter and less acidic than standard tinned tomatoes.
• Buffalo mozzarella has more flavor than fior di latte but is wetter – always drain it thoroughly.
• Less is more with toppings. The margherita is a lesson in restraint.
• Don’t cook the basil – add it fresh after the pizza comes out. Cooked basil turns black and bitter.
• A hot oven is non-negotiable. The difference between a pizza cooked at 570°F and one cooked at 900°F is not subtle.

Also see our guide to the best mozzarella for pizza and best pizza peels.

Why the Margherita Is the Ultimate Test of Technique

The margherita’s simplicity is deceptive – with only three or four ingredients on top, there’s nowhere to hide. A poorly stretched base, an over-wet sauce, or low-quality cheese are immediately obvious in a way they wouldn’t be on a pizza loaded with toppings. That’s precisely what makes the margherita such a useful benchmark. Once you can consistently produce a light, charred, properly crisp margherita, every other pizza becomes easier.

Temperature is everything. The margherita is designed for extreme heat – 450-930°F in a Neapolitan wood-fired oven – where the cornicione puffs and chars in 60 to 90 seconds. At the temperatures most portable ovens reach, you’re aiming for 750°F on the stone for a two-minute bake. Lower than that and the crust won’t develop properly. If you’re finding your base isn’t cooking evenly, check our guide on how long to preheat a pizza oven – the stone temperature matters more than anything else.