Tomato & Chilli Margherita Pizza
Who doesn't love a delicious Margherita Pizza! Indulge in our mouthwatering homemade pizza topped with fresh basil and chilli. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. We used a Ooni Pizza Oven, but a conventional oven also works great for this recipe!
Recipe developed by Mel, Thrive Wholesome Nutrition
Ingredients
Dough:
- 375ml tepid water (around 27°C is ideal)
- 7g Instant dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- Pinch of flour
- 600g double zero flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup Rich Glen Signature Extra Virgin Olive Oil EVOO
Pizza:
- Rich Glen Yarrawonga Pasta Sauce
- Rich Glen Chilli Salt
- Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Red chilli, thinly sliced
- Fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
Directions
To make the dough:
- Add the sugar, yeast, and a pinch of flour to the water in a jug. Whisk briefly to combine, then set aside for 5-10 minutes to let the yeast activate.
- Add the flour to a large mixing bowl. If using a stand mixer with dough hooks, add to the mixing bowl; otherwise, use a hand mixer with dough hooks.
- Once the yeast is activated, pour it into the flour and mix on low speed. Add the oil and salt, and mix for about 8 minutes or until the dough comes away from the sides and forms a ball. (It’s okay if the dough is a little sticky.)
- Take the dough from the bowl and gently mold it into a ball shape. Place it back into the bowl. Spray the sides of the bowl with the Olive Oil spray, then cover with cling wrap and a tea towel. Leave in a warm place for approximately 6-7 hours to prove or until it doubles in size.
- Once the dough has proved, punch it in the middle to let out the air. Gently remove from the bowl and divide into 4 small balls of dough.
- Place each ball into an airtight container and leave to rise again for 2-3 hours.
To prepare the pizza:
- Preheat the pizza oven to a minimum of 400-450°C (If using a standard oven, preheat to about 220°C).
- Once the dough balls have risen and doubled in size, place them onto a floured surface. Using your fingers, press the dough from the center out towards the edges, flattening the dough and forming a thick, puffy crust. Flip the dough over and continue to shape the edges.
- Pick up the dough and using a 'steering motion/left hand down turn', stretch the pizza out slightly until it’s larger in size. Be careful not to over-stretch and make the dough too thin.
- Place the stretched dough back onto the floured bench and add your toppings: pasta sauce, cheese, and tomatoes.
- Place the pizza into the Pizza Oven and cook until it starts to puff up. Turn the pizza using a turning peel to cook all edges evenly. You may need to continue turning the pizza during cooking.
- If using a conventional oven, you may only need to turn the pizza once or twice on a lined baking tray.
- Once cooked, add fresh basil leaves, fresh red chilies, a generous drizzle of olive oil, and a good sprinkle of Rich Glen Chilli Salt. Enjoy!
