Homemade pizza margherita
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses US words and measures (stove, cups, °F); the UK version uses hob, grams and gas marks. · UK version of this page
Pizza from scratch: a yeast dough kneaded by hand, a simple tomato sauce and a very hot oven.
- Serves 4
- About 1 hr 30 min
- Oven
- Best for: Grades 2–5 (ages 7–11)
- Vegetarian if you check the labels
Ingredients
- 300 g (about 2¼ cups) bread flour – contains wheat or gluten
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- 190 ml (about ¾ cup) hand-warm water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 150 g tomato purée (strained tomatoes)
- ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning or oregano
- 150 g (about 1¼ cups) mozzarella, torn or shredded – contains milk
- 8 fresh basil leaves, leaves (optional)
Cup measures are approximate – weighing is more accurate. Need a different amount? Use the recipe finder to change the servings.
Equipment
- kitchen scale
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- large mixing bowl
- clean dish towel
- rolling pin
- 2 baking sheets
- spoon
- oven mitts
- pizza cutter
Safety first
- Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, tie back long hair and put on a clean apron.
- Ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes. This recipe contains: wheat or gluten, milk.
- Do not eat raw dough or cake mixture – raw flour and raw egg can carry harmful bacteria.
- Carry knives pointing down, put them down flat, and never leave one in the dishwater.
- Use dry oven mitts for anything that has been in the oven or under the broiler.
Allergens: Wheat (and other grains with gluten), Milk. Always read every label and ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes.
Method
- Mix the flour, yeast and salt (keep the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl at first). Add the warm water and oil and mix into a soft dough.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface: push the dough away with the heel of your hand, fold it back, turn it a quarter and repeat, until smooth and stretchy. (10 min)
- Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a clean dish towel and leave somewhere warm until it has doubled in size. (45 min)
- An adult turns the oven on to 425 °F (220 °C) and oils the baking sheets.
- Knock the air out, cut the dough in two and roll each piece into a thin round. Put them on the baking sheets.
- Mix the passata and herbs and spread it thinly, leaving a border. Scatter over the mozzarella.
- An adult puts the baking sheets in the oven. Bake until the base is crisp and the cheese is bubbling. (12 min)
- An adult takes them out with oven mitts. Add the basil, leave for 2 minutes (melted cheese is very hot), then cut with the pizza cutter. (2 min)
What this recipe teaches
Mixing, Kneading and shaping dough, Proving dough, Using an oven safely, Assembling a dish, Presenting food. Steps marked “Adult” are always done by an adult; steps marked “Teacher-led” are done by an adult for primary-age children.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 431 |
|---|---|
| Total fat | 13.2 g |
| Saturated fat | 5.6 g |
| Sodium | 538 mg |
| Total carbohydrate | 59.1 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2.8 g |
| Total sugars | 2.4 g |
| Protein | 18.3 g |
Worked out from the raw ingredients (optional ones and pinches not counted) using USDA FoodData Central – SR Legacy (SR28, 2018). Brands vary – check labels.
MyPlate food groups in this recipe: Vegetables; Grains; Dairy. Learn about MyPlate.
Curriculum links
- FCS 14.3: “Demonstrate ability to acquire, handle, and use foods to meet nutrition and wellness needs of individuals and families across the life span.”
- FCS 14.4: “Evaluate factors that affect food safety from production through consumption.”
Try the interactive lesson
Step by step: a quick safety check, questions graded by Classfern, timers for each cooking step, then an honest look at how it went – a teacher or parent judges the cooking, and learners rate their own work. Photos of the finished dish stay at home.
Use the code your teacher gave you – never your name. Progress is kept on this device.