Margherita Pizza Recipe For National Margherita Pizza Day
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June 11th is National Margherita Pizza Day. As the story goes, Queen Margherita of Italy (1851-1926, queen from 1878) was visiting Naples. She asked a prominent pizzaiolo (peet-sa-YO-lo, a pizza maker), Don Raffaele to make her a special pizza. Today we may not think his creation was so special: It was just tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. The colors, red, white, and green, happen to be the colors of the Italian flag. That’s how what we’d call a plain pie with some fresh basil was named in the queen’s honor: the “Margherita Pizza.” > All of the pizza holidays are below. Ingredients If you have purchased pizza dough or a ready-to-bake crust, skip to Step 3. 1. COMBINE THE flour mix and yeast packet of the pizza dough kit in a large mixing bowl with the water. Stir with a fork until the dough begins to form. 2. KNEAD by hand for 3 minutes, or until the dough is soft and smooth. Transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. (After this step, you can refrigerate for use within 1-3 days.) 3. PREHEAT the oven to 450˚F. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Form the pizza by hand on a lightly oiled baking pan or pizza stone. 4. BRUSH each crust with olive oil. Then, divide the toppings and top with San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella slices. Season with salt and pepper as desired. 5. BAKE for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and toppings are browned. Serve topped with fresh basil leaves. Whether you get a takeout pizza, go to a restaurant, or make your own, mark your calendars for: |
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