Thin Crust Margherita Pesto Pizza
This thin crust margherita pesto pizza is the perfect summer dinner with its combination of pesto, basil and fresh mozzarella. Feel free to use the dough recipe and top with whatever toppings you'd like!
Ingredients
Thin crust
- 1 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
- ¾ cup warm water
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Toppings
- ½ cup tomato sauce of your choice
- 1 8 oz ball of fresh mozzarella
- ¼ cup pesto
- 1 large handful fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Combine the yeast, water, and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Add in the flour, salt, and olive oil and mix well. The dough should start to wrap itself around the dough hook. If you see that it's still sticking a little bit, add a bit more flour. If the dough looks too dry and doesn't come together after about 2 minutes of kneading, add a little more olive oil. Grease a bowl well with olive oil. Remove the dough from the mixer and form into a smooth ball. Place the dough in the bowl and toss to coat in the olive oil. Let the dough rose for at least 30 minutes and up to 1.5 hours. Place a pizza stone in the oven and heat to 500F about 20 minutes before you top the pizza.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper and transfer the dough to the middle of the paper. Roll out into a circle. Prick the pizza dough with a fork so the steam can escape. (essential for thin crust pizza)Spread the sauce in a circular motion, then add on slices of fresh mozzarella. Dot pesto all around the pizza. Slide a pizza paddle under the parchment paper and carefully transfer to the baking stone. Bake for 10 minutes. Broil an additional 1-2 minutes if desired.
- Top with chopped basil. Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing.