Margherita Pizza – Long Ferment, Double Basil
This Margherita celebrates simplicity while highlighting technique, a long room-temperature fermentation for the dough, and basil added both before and after baking for layers of fresh, aromatic flavour.
That long, slow ferment gives the crust its airy texture, blistered edges, and light chew. The base is topped with tomato sauce, a mix of fresh and low-moisture mozzarella, a sprinkling of Grana Padano, and basil leaves that bake gently into the cheese. Once it comes out of the oven, we finish with more fresh basil, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a touch of oregano.
The result? A Margherita that balances rustic depth with fresh, bright notes, simple, beautiful, and made to be shared straight from the peel.
Margherita Pizza – Long Ferment, Double Basil
This pizza combines the soft chew and open crumb of a long room-temperature fermentation dough with the iconic Neapolitan margherita flavours of tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Adding basil before baking brings a mellow herbal warmth, while the fresh garnish after baking keeps it vibrant and aromatic.To make this Margherita pizza, you’ll need just a few ingredients and some patience for the dough. Follow our step-by-step instructions and you'll be indulging in a slice in no time. Bon appétit! And don't forget to check out some of our other pizza recipes for inspiration for your next pizza making day!
Equipment
- 1 Pizza Peel
- 1 Sauce ladle
- 1 wooden chopping board or peel for prep and serving
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough ball
- 1 ladle of pizza sauce
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Low moisture mozzarella cheese
- Grana Padano cheese
- Fresh basil leaves
- Dried oregano
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: Follow any of our dough recipes. For this particular bake, we used our classic dough recipe.
- Prepare Sauce:We recommend our standard pizza sauce which is versatile, simple to make and is perfect for Neapolitan style pizzas. Spice up this sauce however you like, remember the best part about making pizza is the creative process!
- Prepare Cheese: Place your fresh mozzarella in a container or bowl with a paper towel at the bottom to absorb excess moisture. Grate or tear fresh mozzarella into medium-sized pieces. Finely grate grana padano. Set cheeses aside for assembly.
- Preheat Oven:Outdoor Pizza Oven: If using an outdoor pizza like an Ooni pizza oven, aim for a temperature of 450-500°C at the center of your pizza stone. Use an infrared thermometer to ensure accuracy. It should take around 25-30 minutes to reach temperature.Home Oven: Place pizza steel or stone inside the oven and preheat to the highest temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare Base: On a lightly floured surface, stretch out the dough by hand according to the steps outlined in our dough recipe.Once you're happy with the shape of the base, lightly dust your pizza peel and transfer the dough onto the peel.
- Assemble Pizza: Spread a ladle of sauce onto the dough in a circular motion, starting from the center and working outwards.Lightly sprinkle dried oregano over the sauce to add a hint of herbal depth.Distribute pieces of fresh and low-moisture mozzarella evenly across the base, leaving small gaps between each piece.Add a few fresh basil leaves before baking to infuse their flavour into the cheese.Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Bake Your Pizza:Outdoor Pizza Oven: Launch the pizza into the oven and bake for 60-90 seconds. Keep an eye on the pie and rotate every 10-15 seconds to ensure even cooking and to prevent burning.Home Oven: Launch pizza onto a pizza steel or stone, the bake time should be around 7-10 minutes.
- Serving: Once baked, remove the pizza from the oven and place it on a serving board.Top with a few fresh basil leaves for a burst of colour and aroma, followed by a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.Leave to cool slightly before slicing. Now, it’s time to enjoy your Long Ferment Double Basil Margherita Pizza!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
