Margherita Pizza

Pizza topped with burrata, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil

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City/Region: Naples, Italy

Time Period: 19th Century

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It’s hard to believe, but pizza was not always as universally beloved as it is today. It was often looked down on as food for poor people, especially the savory variety. In the 1800s, pizza outside of Naples was a dessert for the wealthy, often like a cheesecake or a sweet bread, and its this sweet variety that we have historical recipes for. 

To recreate a savory 19th century pizza with tomato, mozzarella, and basil like the modern margherita, I’m turning to historical writings that describe Neapolitan pizza. 

I think all pizza is delicious, and this is no exception. The stracciatella cheese is delicious as a tomato sauce alternative, and the flavor of the tomatoes shines through beautifully. The crust will be crisper if you have a pizza oven, but you can still get tasty results in a regular oven with a pizza stone.

“Pizza…is a specialty of the Neapolitans–indeed, of the city of Naples itself…[Some] are covered with grated cheese and seasoned with lard, and then a few basil leaves are placed on top…upon [this], thin slices of mozzarella. At times slices of prosciutto, tomatoes, small clams, etc. are used.”

— Emmanuele Rocco (In Francesco de Bourcard’s Usi e costumi di Napoli), 1853

“The pizza baker takes a ball of dough, kneads it, and spreads it out with the palm of his hand, giving it about half the thickness of a muffin, then pours over it mozzarella, which is nothing more than rich cream, beaten almost like a cream cheese; then he adds grated cheese, herbs, and tomato, puts the cake–which, made after this fashion, is termed the pizza–just for five minutes into the oven, and served it up as hot as possible. The cheese and cream are, of course, all melted, and unite with the herbs and the tomato. The outside crust must, in the case of a perfect pizza, possess a certain orthodox crispness.”

— Naples Letter, South London Chronicle, December 22, 1860

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Ingredients:

Dough

• 3/4 cup (175 ml) water
• 1/2 teaspoon (1 1/2 g) dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups (300 g) 00 flour or bread flour, more as needed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Semolina flour, for the peel

Toppings

• Burrata*
• Tomatoes, I used mini Marzano, but you can use San Marzano or Roma
• Fresh mozzarella
• Fresh basil

*We’ll be using the filling, or stracciatella, from the burrata

Instructions:

1. For the filling: In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve.
2. Add in about 2 cups (240 g) of the flour and the salt and mix it together to form a soft dough. Using your hands works well here. Continue adding flour and working it in until you get a shaggy, sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and work the dough, adding more flour as needed, until you get a kneadable dough. Once the dough comes together and is kneadable, knead it for 7 to 10 minutes, or until it’s nice and smooth.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and put a little more oil on top of the dough. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise for at least 2 to 3 hours, or stick it in the fridge overnight to let it slowly rise and develop more flavor. It should double in size.
4. When the dough has risen, place a pizza stone on a lower rack of the oven and preheat it to 450°F (230°C). If you’re using a pizza oven, preheat it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Turn the risen dough out onto a work surface and gently deflate it. Divide the dough in two for personal size pizzas, or leave it whole for a larger pizza. The smaller portions of dough will be easier to work with if, like me, you don’t make pizza very often.
6. Stretch and shape the dough into a circle. You want the dough to be fairly thin. Sprinkle a baking peel with some semolina flour so it doesn’t stick, then transfer the circle of dough onto it. You can continue to shape the dough after it’s on the peel.
7. For the toppings: Cut open the burrata and take out the creamy insides. Spread this (called stracciatella) over the pizza as you would a sauce.
8. Slice the tomatoes and the mozzarella. Arrange the tomatoes all over the pizza, then top that with some of the mozzarella. If you have a pizza oven that hits around 900°F (480°C), you can put the basil on now, but if you have a regular oven, you’ll put it on later. All of the amounts of toppings will be up to your preference.
9. For a regular oven, slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone and bake for about 5 minutes. Top the pizza with the fresh basil, then continue to bake for another 3 to 4 minutes. For a pizza oven, it will only take about 90 seconds to 2 minutes and you can have the fresh basil on the whole time.
10. Slice and serve it forth right away.

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