How To Make Pizza Margherita (On A Cast-Iron Griddle)
Home » COOK » Recipes » International Recipes » Italian Recipes »Who doesn’t love the Classic Pizza Margherita? It is the perfect accompaniment to family pizza nights or casual gatherings with friends. Plus, if you have the time and inclination you can make the dough from scratch for ultimate bragging rights!
Topped with tomatoes and the delectable combination of creamy mozzarella and fragrant basil, the classic Margherita is guaranteed to please everyone.
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How To Make Pizza Margherita
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions; to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required, and to understand the steps and timings involved.
Everyone loves pizza, right? I mean, I know we do!
But take-out pizza is so expensive (at least I think it is) and homemade is always a million times better than anything you can get from your local pizza delivery place.
Making pizza dough from scratch is not that difficult, and this recipe makes enough dough to make two medium-crust pizzas (or three thin-crust pizzas) on a 10½-inch square cast iron griddle.
If that is too much dough for your needs, you can wrap the dough well in a couple of layers of plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out then refrigerate (for up to one week) or freeze (for up to three months) for later use.
To defrost the dough, place it in the fridge for at least 8 to 12 hours, maybe even up to 24 hours. Then allow it to come to room temperature for about an hour before use.
If you need a gluten-free option, then I’ve got you covered with this Gluten Free Pizza Crust which can be cooked on a charcoal or gas grill or in the oven.
This Pizza Margherita recipe is a classic, and the ingredients used represent Italy’s flag with its ripe red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and fresh green basil.
This attractive combination of simple, yet delicious, ingredients explains why it is a favorite of pizza lovers everywhere!
This version combines all of the above with a well-seasoned cast-iron cooking surface and a super-hot oven (the highest your oven can go!) to deliver a delightfully crispy crust with a soft, but not overly chewy, interior.
Once you’ve made pizza this way, you’ll never want to buy take-out again!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It does not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Fresh Produce – Basil, Tomatoes
- Dairy – Fresh Mozzarella, Shredded Mozzarella,
- Active Dry Yeast
- All-Purpose Flour – also known as Plain Flour.
- Non-stick Cooking Spray
- Pizza Sauce
- Italian Seasoning – this recipe uses store-bought Italian Seasoning, but it is so easy to make your own herb mixes, especially if you already have a bunch of herbs and spices in your pantry already. Just mix equal measures of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and thyme. You can also add a pinch of garlic granules or powder as well as red chili flakes if you like. Store in an airtight jar and use in recipes as required.
- Garlic Powder
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Cast Iron Single-Burner Reversible Grill/Griddle, 10.5-inch – this is the cast iron used in the images shown in this post.
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. You can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Cheese
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is cheese, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- 30-Minute Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Appetizers
- Loaded Baked Potatoes {with Cheese & Bacon}
- The Best Ever Mac ‘n’ Cheese
More Pizza Recipes
Looking for more pizza to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Quick & Easy Ciabatta Pizza
- Thin Crust Pizza: Spinach & Ricotta
- Quick & Easy Pepperoni Mini Mummy Pizzas
Recipe Tips
- This recipe yields enough dough to make two medium-crust pizzas on the cast iron griddle shown. If preferred, the dough can be divided to create three thin-crust pizzas of this size. Unused dough can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated or frozen for later use.
How Do I Make Pizza Margherita?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Cast Iron Pizza Margherita
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1½ cup very warm water 110˚-115°F / 43˚-46˚C
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp white or brown sugar
- 1 tsp table salt
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 4 cups all-purpose plain flour, divided
- Non-stick cooking spray
Toppings for One Pizza
- ⅓ cup pizza sauce
- 1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
- ½ Tbsp garlic powder
- 3 small tomatoes sliced**
- 4 oz 115g fresh Mozzarella, sliced
- 3 oz 85g low-moisture Mozzarella, shredded
- 3 Tbsp fresh basil sliced (+ small sprigs for garnish)
- Crushed red pepper flakes optional, for garnish
Instructions
- To proof the yeast, add the warm water to a large bowl, followed by the yeast and sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Add salt and two tablespoons olive oil to the same bowl and stir to combine. Gradually add two-and-a-half cups flour, one-half cup at a time, stirring continually until the flour is thoroughly incorporated into the dough.
- Sprinkle flour onto a clean work surface and lightly coat hands with additional flour. Drop the dough onto the prepared work surface and knead in remaining flour just until dough is no longer sticky.
- Shape dough into a ball and add to a clean bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside in a warm place for one hour or until the dough doubles in size.
Tip: It will take approximately 3½ cups of all-purpose flour for the dough to reach the correct consistency. (If the dough is still sticky at that point, work in a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time, just until no longer sticky). The additional flour in the ingredients list is for the work surface and your hands while working with the dough. - When the dough is almost ready, place the top oven rack in the center position and pre-heat the oven to the highest it will go (475-500°F/240°C/Gas 9)
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with your lightly floured fist. After a couple minutes, divide the dough in half and roll out one half on a clean, well-floured surface until it is a little bit larger than the surface of your cast iron skillet or griddle.
- Transfer the dough to the cast iron griddle and stretch it with your fingers until it completely fills the space, and the outer perimeter is slightly thicker than the rest of the crust.
- Brush remaining olive oil around the perimeter of the dough, as shown.
- Then top the dough with the pizza sauce and spread into a thin, uniform layer up to the edge of the oil-brushed crust. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and garlic powder on top of the sauce in an even, uniform layer.
- Arrange the sliced tomatoes and fresh Mozzarella cheese on top.
- Sprinkle with the low-moisture shredded Mozzarella and carefully place the pizza in the pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is brown and bubbly.
- Carefully remove from oven and cool for several minutes before topping with fresh basil and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
Tip: The pan will be very, very hot at this point, so use extreme caution while working around it. - To serve, carefully slide the baked pizza to a clean cutting surface and slice into individual pieces. Enjoy!
Notes
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Full Meal
You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:
- Appetizer: Classic Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Glaze
- Soup: Gluten-Free Minestrone Soup with Cannellini Beans
- Salad: Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing & Croutons
- Beverage: Prosecco Cocktail with Blackberry, Elderflower & Basil
- Dessert: No-Bake Mini Cannoli Pies
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!