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Prep time
4 hours 30 minutes
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Cook time
10 minutes
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Makes
2 individual pizzas
Author Notes
From Nik Sharma's 'Season': I like to pair dishes, like a Margherita pizza, with bold, unconventional flavors, like coriander and nigella seeds. Using cracked coriander seeds, rather than ground, enhances the flavor of the chili flakes. Nigella seeds pair well with tomatoes. A little sprinkle over this fresh tomato-topped pizza gives the tomatoes a fragrant, nutty flavor. You can also use olive oil instead of ghee if you prefer. —Nik Sharma
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Margherita Naan Pizza
Ingredients
- Margherita Naan Pizza
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Dough of 1 recipe Naan (see below)
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2 teaspoons
all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the pizza
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2 teaspoons
coriander seeds
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2 teaspoons
nigella seeds
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2 teaspoons
dried red chili flakes
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2 teaspoons
cornmeal or semolina
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1 cup
[185 g] cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise
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1 cup
[160 g] grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
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1 cup
[80 g] shredded mozzarella
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1 tablespoon
chopped fresh chives
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1 tablespoon
flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- Naan
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1/2 cup
[120 ml] whole milk, heated to 105 to 115°F [41 to 46°C]
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1
large egg
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2 tablespoons
plain full-fat Greek yogurt
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1 tablespoon
unsalted butter, melted
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1 tablespoon
sugar
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1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
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1 tablespoon
active dry yeast
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2 cups
[280 g] all-purpose flour or whole-wheat pastry flour, plus more for rolling out the naans
Directions
- Margherita Naan Pizza
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Place a baking steel or pizza stone on a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F [260°C] for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into two equal parts and shape into balls. Cover one ball with a kitchen towel. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll the remaining ball into a circle 1/8 in [4 mm] thick and 12 in [30 cm] in diameter. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
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Crack the coriander lightly with a mortar and pestle, add the nigella seeds and chili flakes, and set aside.
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Prepare one pizza at a time: Flip over a baking sheet, wrong-side up, and place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 tsp of
the flour and 1 tsp of the cornmeal on the parchment to coat evenly. Place
a rolled-out circle of dough on top of the paper and drizzle with a little melted ghee. Spread out half of the tomatoes over the dough. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella and 1 Tbsp of the spices in the mortar. Slide the circle of dough onto the preheated baking steel, discard the parchment paper, and shut the oven door. Lower the heat to 425°F [220°C] and bake until the edges of the crust start to turn golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Garnish with half the chopped chives and flaky salt, and drizzle with a little extra ghee. Repeat with the remaining circle of dough and serve the pizzas hot.
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Additional notes: Get a baking stone or baking steel sheet to get a fantastic crust with the nice char. For the last 2 minutes, set the broiler on to get a nice blistered char to recreate that fire oven finish. Otherwise, this recipe can be used on a grill or smoker. I usually line the base of the grates with foil or use a baking stone or steel and then proceed as usual.
- Naan
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Using a fork, whisk the milk, egg, yogurt, butter, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle with the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should be bubbly on the surface.
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Put the flour in a large bowl or mound on a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture into the middle of the well. Using clean hands or a large wooden spoon, gradually mix the flour from the inside wall of the well into the liquid to form a sticky dough. Knead well for 4 to 5 minutes.
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Fold the dough by grabbing it from the underside and stretching it and folding it back over itself. Rotate a quarter of a turn and repeat three or four times. Brush a large bowl with a little oil and put the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a dark, warm place until doubled in size, about 4 hours.
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Proceed with above recipe for Margherita Naan Pizza.
Nik Sharma is a molecular biologist turned cookbook author and food photographer who writes a monthly column for Serious Eats and the San Francisco Chronicle and is a contributor to the New York Times. His first cookbook, Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food, was a finalist for a James Beard Foundation award and an International Association of Culinary Professionals award. Nik resides in Los Angeles, California and writes the award-winning blog, A Brown Table. Nik's new book, The Flavor Equation will be released in October 2020.
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