Margherita Pizza| The Best Homemade Pizza Crust

We've been having pizza for dinner a lot lately. It's an easy meal that I know my kids will eat without a fight, and it's nice that you can typically throw whatever ingredients you have leftover in the fridge right on top, and it becomes a new adventure every time. I always see everyone with their fancy pictures of Margherita Pizza on instagram and this week I decided we should try it out to see if it lived up to the hype.

We had fresh basil from our garden and I never knew that basil could smell so good. It was definitely the most aromatic basil we've ever had. The smell literally filled the entire house, and Em sat on the couch with a bundle of leaves in her hands just smelling them. Apparently the baby version of catnip is indeed, basil.

The real star of the show though was the fresh Stella Mozzarella that we bought from Publix. It's a new line of cheese that Stella has recently launched and it is phenomenal. This was actually my first time cooking with real, fresh mozzarella, and now I don't think that there is any going back. You can try Stella Cheese for yourself using this $1 off coupon, and you can head over to their site to find it in a store near you.

Because I want you to be able to experience the magic of Stella Cheese, I'm self hosting a $50 paypal cash giveaway so you and your family can taste it first hand! Enter using the rafflecopter below! Giveaway will run until 7/11/16 at 11:59pm EST.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulate sugar
cornmeal, for dusting pan
Toppings: I did fresh mozzarella, roma tomatoes, and fresh basil

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, proof the yeast in the warm water for 10 minutes. When the yeast has dissolved, add the flour, oil, salt, and sugar. Mix together until it forms a smooth ball.

Spray a clean mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray and then transfer the ball of dough to the bowl and toss the dough around the bowl until it is coated with cooking spray on all sides. Then place a dry clean towel over the bowl and allow the dough to rise for one hour.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough down and divide it into two separate balls. Allow the balls of dough to rest for 15 minutes, lightly covered.

Preheat the oven to 475°, and spray your cooking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and lightly dust them with cornmeal. Then prepare your favorite toppings.

When the 15 minutes is up flatten and round out each pizza dough on it's baking sheet until you have a 12 inch circle. Then curl the edge of the dough up to form the lip for the crust. Lightly brush the top of the dough with olive oil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes before topping.

Top your pizza with the desired toppings, and then bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese  is melted.

For margherita pizza, top with fresh basil after cooking. Slice, and serve immediately out of the oven.

This post was sponsored by Stella Cheese, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

40 comments

  1. That looks so great. also, kindof confused here. Are you back to blogging now? A few posts back you said you were done, so I haven't checked your blog for awhile, but today just did and you were back, so wondering if you changed your mind....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Like I mentioned in my fried scones post, if you read it, I decided to keep posting recipes on here that we've tried and really liked because this is the only way I can still keep track of the things we've made so I can find the recipes again. Since April when I said I was done blogging, I've only done 10 posts, which is hardly any where near what I was doing previously. Five of those posts were family updates which I said I was going to continue doing when I said I was no longer going to be daily blogging, 5 were recipe posts, and one was a book update post. While 4 of the 5 recipe posts were sponsored, I wouldn't have considered them unless I was passionate about the brand. I've actually ended my relationships with all media agencies except for one (Linqia), and so when I do a sponsored post, if I choose to, it will be through them only. This may result in work twice a month, once a month, or only a few times a year, but when opportunities come up to work with them, I likely will to help pay for physical therapy bills. I chose to continue working for them because they're the one company that doesn't ask me to harass all my readers on social media with my blog post. I can post it on my blog and then not have to talk about it anywhere else. They also only ask for one photograph, and the advertised product doesn't even need to be photographed. So while I'm taking a huge step back from working, I choose to work with them because they provide the most authentic sponsorship opportunities to my readers who choose to read the post, and I don't have to push the post a thousand times on social media, and I get to still help pay for my daughter's medical needs. If this makes you uncomfortable you're more then welcome to stop reading, or continue reading, whatever works best for you.

      Delete
  2. The BAKED POTATO TOPPERS WITH CHEESES sound so yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The recipe I would make from Stella's Site is the Apple Blue Cheese Tossed Salad. It sounds delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Baked Eggs with Ham & Cheese looks awesome for any time of the day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Mini Peppers sound really good--my choice!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would love to try the THREE CHEESE BAKED EGGPLANT! I grow my eggplant so this would be a perfect start for this recipe! Booked marked it. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Will have to try the apple gorgonzola pizza.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good Golly Miss Molly. Baked Eggs with Ham & Cheese. Thank you for the awesomeness, the contest, and generosity. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I would like the Apple Blue Cheese Tossed Salad would be so good. Thank you very much for all the great food ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The BING CHERRY "CHEESECAKE" recipe looks so great and yummi :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think the Bacon and Feta Cheese Stuffed Burgers sound amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Since I have quit eating land animals, I am always looking for a great recipe. I liked the BLUE CHEESE CRANBERRY APPLE ENDIVE BOATS.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I would make the ASPARAGUS WITH GOAT CHEESE. This recipe is both easy to make and healthy.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I am looking forward to trying this recipe after work today. Thanks for another great post.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yummmmm!I am a cheese lover, being a Wisconsin Native and boy do all these recipes look great! I want to make the Baked Chicken Parmesan with Ricotta and Spinach tonight! Looks amazing! Thanks! And your pizza looks awesome as well!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would love to make the ASIAGO CHEESE BRUSCHETTA BITES recipe!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I would like to make the Arugula, Pistachio, and Aged Parmesan Pesto Toss.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The APPLE BLUE CHEESE TOSSED SALAD would be perfect for me.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The bacon and feta cheese stuffed burgers look amazing. Yum!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. They all look so good, but 2 that stand out are the ASIAGO CHEESE BRUSCHETTA BITES and the BAKED EGGS WITH HAM & CHEESE

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'd make the BLACK PEPPER, PARMESAN & ROSEMARY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

    ReplyDelete
  22. Being I have to watch my finances to afford medical care; I still am honored to prepare (with help from my mother) that of some recipes! This is surely going to be shared continuously into tonight with those that I know will enjoy the recipes!

    computertech2you@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I would make the bacon and feta burgers. Bunless because I am on a carb-reduced diet!!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I just wanted to say, every time I come to do my daily entry, that picture of the pizza makes me ridiculously hungry lol.. I'm going to try and tackle your recipe this coming week, it looks wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  25. They all sound so good I think I would like to try making the ASIAGO CHEESE BRUSCHETTA BITES!!!! Yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  26. ...maybe the "Arugula & Bacon Salad with Blue Cheese & Toasted Macadamia Stuffed Pears." abrennan09@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I would make the apple blue cheese salad.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I would try the Asiago cheese bruschetta bites! They sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
  29. The Apple Gorgonzola Pizza looks amazing! I'm loving fruit on pizza right now.

    ReplyDelete
  30. One of the recipes that I would like to try is the Artichoke, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Fontinella Stuffed Chicken.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I would like to make the Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Mini Peppers.

    rtrexel@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I want to make the Crispy Potato Salad.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I think I just found my new favorite recipe site! These recipes are totally my taste. I would make the Fettuccine & Romano Cake with Seafood & Artichokes.

    ReplyDelete
  34. How do you inform the reader how they won? I don't even know which email address is attached to rafflecopter...

    ReplyDelete
  35. I would make the ASIAGO CHEESE BRUSCHETTA BITES

    ReplyDelete