Neo Margherita Pizza
Thomas J. Story
“The Neo Margherita was one of the first pizzas I created at Pizzana,” Naples-born, California-based chef Daniele Uditi says. “While I’ll always love a classic margherita, I wanted to play with tradition and find a way to reinterpret it for an entirely new experience. The basil crumb topping ensures that every bite has an infusion of basil flavor, and we invert the construction so the tomato ‘sauce’ is actually a reduction featured on top of each slice.”
This recipe and others like it can be found in the article “This Is the Secret to Creating Perfect Neapolitan Pizza at Home.”
How to Make It
1
An hour before cooking, place pizza stone in oven and preheat to 500°F.
2
While the oven preheats, prepare the dough. Dust a clean countertop with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
3
To stretch the dough, start by pressing down in the center of the ball, using your fingers to flatten the center. Continue to gently press and push the dough out from the center to form the crust, leaving a 1 1⁄2-inch rim around the circumference of the pizza. Stop when the dough is approximately 12 inches in diameter. Transfer it from the countertop to a floured pizza peel.
4
Using your hands, tear the fior di latte or mozzarella into pieces approximately 2 inches in diameter. Disperse evenly across the dough. Add large dollops of tomato paste over the pizza. Sprinkle on the Parmigiano Reggiano.
5
Using the pizza peel, transfer the pizza to the pizza stone. Bake 7–9 minutes. No need to rotate the pizza halfway through.
6
Top the pizza with basil powder, fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and Maldon salt to taste.
Ingredients
1 tbsp semolina or all-purpose flour, for dusting surface
4 oz fior di latte or fresh mozzarella
⅓ cup double-concentrated San Marzano tomato paste
¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tbsp dried basil, blended into a powder using a spice grinder or blender
4 leaves fresh basil, torn in half
extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish
Maldon salt, to taste
Directions
1
An hour before cooking, place pizza stone in oven and preheat to 500°F.
2
While the oven preheats, prepare the dough. Dust a clean countertop with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
3
To stretch the dough, start by pressing down in the center of the ball, using your fingers to flatten the center. Continue to gently press and push the dough out from the center to form the crust, leaving a 1 1⁄2-inch rim around the circumference of the pizza. Stop when the dough is approximately 12 inches in diameter. Transfer it from the countertop to a floured pizza peel.
4
Using your hands, tear the fior di latte or mozzarella into pieces approximately 2 inches in diameter. Disperse evenly across the dough. Add large dollops of tomato paste over the pizza. Sprinkle on the Parmigiano Reggiano.
5
Using the pizza peel, transfer the pizza to the pizza stone. Bake 7–9 minutes. No need to rotate the pizza halfway through.
6
Top the pizza with basil powder, fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and Maldon salt to taste.
