Dish of the week

Margherita Pizza… or was it a Queen?

Ever tried a delicious cheese melting Margherita Pizza? The simple pizza with only 3 toppings that can make your mouth water? Tomatoes, bazil and mozzarella. What a wonderful combination! Fit for 🇮🇹 Italian Royalty.

The Full Story

A Slice Fit For a Queen (and the World)

In 1889, Queen Margherita of Savoy was in Naples seeking something local—no fancy French fare. Chef Raffaele Esposito at Pizzeria Brandi answered the call, crafting three pies. The crown jewel? One adorned in tomato, mozzarella, and basil—the colors of Italy’s flag. It delighted the Queen so much that Esposito named it Pizza Margherita, instantly turning street food into chart-topping cuisine.

But this isn’t just a one-night wonder. While historians found similar pizzas as early as the 1790s, it was Esposito’s royal endorsement that popularized it. That official stamp—coupled with the rise of Italian immigration—saw Margherita pizza sail across oceans, land in New York’s pizzerias, and eventually top menus worldwide.

Today, it stands as a cultural icon: Neapolitan pizza-making earned UNESCO “intangible cultural heritage” status in 2017, and the authentic Margherita holds a coveted EU “Specialità Tradizionale Garantita” label.

How To Prepare a Margherita?

The Original Neapolitan-Style Margherita

Make Your Own Neapolitan-Style Margherita

Ingredients (for one 12″ pizza):

• Dough: 250 g “00” or bread flour, 160 ml warm water, 1 tsp yeast, pinch sugar, ⅓ tsp salt, 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 80 g crushed San Marzano-style tomatoes

• 80 g fresh mozzarella (buffalo or fior di latte), torn

• 6–8 fresh basil leaves

• Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle of sea salt

Method:

1. Dough prep – Mix yeast + sugar in warm water. Add flour, salt, oil; knead 10 minutes. Let rest, covered, until doubled (1–2 hours).

2. Preheat your oven (and stone/tray) to max (250–260 °C/500+ °F) for 30+ minutes.

3. Stretch dough by hand into a 30 cm disc with a raised edge—no rolling pin allowed for authenticity! 

4. Top it – Spread tomatoes, scatter mozzarella, add basil leaves, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.

5. Bake for 10–12 minutes (or ~90 seconds in a wood-fired oven) until crust is puffy with charred spots.

6. Finish & serve – Add fresh basil if wanted, drizzle extra olive oil, then slice and savor!

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