Classic Margherita, the Neapolitan Way

The pizza that started it all. Three simple toppings, one very hot oven, and a result that tastes like a little place in Naples.

The Margherita is the truest test of a pizza oven, and the most rewarding. With so few ingredients, there is nowhere to hide, which is exactly why a real oven matters. The intense heat does what a kitchen range cannot, giving you a blistered crust and bright, fresh toppings in under two minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 ball of pizza dough, at room temperature
• 3 to 4 tablespoons San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• A pinch of sea salt
• 60 to 80 g fresh mozzarella, torn and drained
• A few fresh basil leaves
• A drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil

Method

1. Bring your oven to full heat, with the floor around 750 degrees. Let it stabilize while you prep.
2. Stretch the dough into a thin round, leaving a puffy rim.
3. Season the crushed tomatoes with a pinch of salt and spread a thin layer over the base, leaving the rim clear.
4. Scatter the torn mozzarella, leaving small gaps so it melts without flooding the pizza.
5. Launch onto the hot floor and cook, turning every 20 to 30 seconds, until the crust is puffed and charred in spots, about 60 to 90 seconds.
6. Pull it out, add the fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve immediately.

The taste of the real thing

This is the pizza that proves the point. Made in a proper oven, a simple Margherita is the slice people remember, the one that unites everyone around the table asking for another. Explore wood-fired ovens for the most authentic version, or browse all pizza ovens.