Pasta & Italian

Margherita Flatbread Pizza

★★★★½ (4.6)

A simple homemade take on the iconic Neapolitan pizza, with bubbly crust, sweet tomato sauce, melty fresh mozzarella, and fragrant basil. No pizza oven required.

15 min Prep

15 min Cook

30 min Total

4 Servings

Crispy, chewy crust with charred edges just like a pizzeria
Only a handful of fresh ingredients let the quality shine
Ready faster than ordering delivery

1 lb pizza dough (store-bought or homemade), room temperature
2 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for the pan
1 cup canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Place a pizza stone or an upside-down heavy baking sheet in the oven and preheat the oven to 500F (or as high as it goes) for at least 30 minutes before baking.
In a small bowl, mix the crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1/2 tsp salt to make a quick sauce.
On a floured surface, stretch or roll the pizza dough into a 12 inch round or oval, working from the center outward and leaving the edges slightly thicker for the crust.
Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet, lightly flour it, and transfer the stretched dough onto it.
Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border bare for the crust.
Scatter the torn mozzarella pieces evenly over the sauce, leaving some gaps so the sauce peeks through.
Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over the top and slide the pizza, still on the parchment, onto the preheated stone or baking sheet in the oven.
Bake 8 to 12 minutes, watching closely, until the crust is puffed and deep golden brown with charred spots and the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.
Check doneness by lifting an edge with a spatula: the underside should be golden brown and firm, not pale or doughy.
Remove from the oven and immediately scatter fresh basil leaves and a pinch of red pepper flakes over the hot pizza (the residual heat will wilt the basil perfectly without burning it).
Sprinkle with Parmesan, slice into wedges, and serve right away.