Pizza Margherita

A gloomy, on-again, off-again, rain means brick oven cooking. 

Pizza Margherita - the simplest Neapolitan pizza. 

 

The Italian city of Naples is generally-accepted as the home to the creation story of pizza.  Founded in the 16th century the urban peasants of Naples were quite impoverished and thus it was that pizza - a flatbread with toppings - easy to make and could be eaten for any meal that affordably fed the working class of Naples.   

The popular interpretation of the origin of this particular pie is an account from 1889 and a visit by King Umberto I and Queen Margherita to Naples. The Queen summoned the famed pizza-maker Raffaele Esposito to bake three pizzas for her. The first two - an anchovy followed by a marinara were uninspiring to the Queen.  The third - featuring the green, white and red colors of the Italian flag - met with the Queen's approval.  Esposito named his pie for Queen Margherita and requested of her a Royal Seal.  But I digress - I watch to many Stanley Tucci Italian cooking shows on streaming television.

This pie features a long cold fermentation dough, sauce, whole milk mozz, fresh garden basil, salt, and a drizzle of EVO. 

Also broke-in a new professional peel for ease of oven entry and egress….