Pizza Margherita is the most famous pizza in the world and the definitive expression of pizza napoletana — tomato, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil on a hand-stretched Neapolitan dough base. The legend attributes its creation to Raffaele Esposito of Pizzeria Brandi in June 1889, who made three pizzas for Queen Margherita of Savoy during a royal visit to Naples: the pizza with tomato, mozzarella, and basil — representing the Italian flag's red, white, and green — was the queen's favourite, and Esposito named it in her honour. Whether the story is precisely true (pizzas with these ingredients existed before 1889), the name and the canonical combination have been inseparable ever since. The technique is the pizza napoletana technique in its purest form: the stretched dough is topped with hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes (DOP, or similar quality pomodorini), sliced or torn fior di latte mozzarella (or, for the Margherita Extra, mozzarella di bufala campana DOP), a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and 4-5 fresh basil leaves placed on top after baking (or, in some traditions, before baking, where they char slightly and perfume the pizza). The pizza bakes for 60-90 seconds in the 485°C oven. The Margherita is the test of a pizzaiolo's skill: with only four toppings plus dough, there is nowhere to hide. The dough must be perfectly fermented, the stretching must be precise, the topping must be balanced (not too much tomato, not too much cheese), and the baking must be exact. A perfect Margherita is one of the great simple compositions in food: the sweetness of San Marzano tomato, the milky richness of mozzarella, the perfume of basil, the fruitiness of olive oil, and the slightly charred, smoky, bread-like base.
Prepare the dough per pizza napoletana technique — long fermentation, hand-stretching|Crush San Marzano tomatoes by hand — do not blend; the rough texture matters|Top with tomato first — a thin, even layer, not pooling in the centre|Add sliced or torn fior di latte mozzarella — evenly distributed but not covering every millimetre|Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil — a thin stream in a spiral pattern|Bake at 485°C for 60-90 seconds — rotate once with the peel for even cooking|Add fresh basil leaves after baking (or before, for slightly charred basil)|The tomato should be loose, not a thick paste — it should pool and flow slightly|Serve immediately on the plate — do not box or cover, which steams the crust
The San Marzano DOP tomato is grown in the volcanic soil of the Agro Sarnese-Nocerino at the foot of Vesuvius — the volcanic minerals and the protected valley climate produce a tomato with lower acidity, higher sweetness, and more concentrated flesh than any other canned tomato. For Margherita Extra (a specific AVPN designation), use mozzarella di bufala campana DOP, cherry tomatoes, basil, and extra virgin olive oil — this is the premium version. The basil should be fresh, small-leaved Genovese basil — large-leaved basil lacks the intensity. The olive oil should be fruity and peppery — a finishing oil, not a cooking oil. A perfect Margherita weighs 300-350g total and measures 30-35cm in diameter — these dimensions are part of the specification.
Using buffalo mozzarella without adjustment — it releases more water than fior di latte, potentially making the centre soggy; if using bufala, tear into small pieces and let drain. Blending the tomatoes smooth — hand-crushed tomato with visible pieces is correct. Adding dried oregano — Margherita uses basil, not oregano; Marinara uses oregano. Over-topping — a Margherita should show as much dough as topping; restraint is everything. Using pre-shredded 'pizza mozzarella' — this is not mozzarella; use fresh fior di latte or bufala DOP.
Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN); STG Pizza Napoletana; Antonio Pace, La Pizza Napoletana (2002)