Pizza Express Margherita

Name: Pizza Express Margherita
Prep time: 19 min
Cook time: 36 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 150ml Water; 1 tsp Sugar; 15g Yeast; 225g Plain Flour; 1 1/2 tsp Salt; Drizzle Olive Oil; 80g Passata; 70g Mozzarella; Peeled and Sliced Oregano; Leaves Basil; Pinch Black Pepper

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Miscellaneous recipe with Italian flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 76 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 55 min total

150ml Water
1 tsp Sugar
15g Yeast
225g Plain Flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
Drizzle Olive Oil
80g Passata
70g Mozzarella
Peeled and Sliced Oregano
Leaves Basil
Pinch Black Pepper

Step-by-step instructions

Preheat the oven to 230°C.
Add the sugar and crumble the fresh yeast into warm water.
Allow the mixture to stand for 10 – 15 minutes in a warm place (we find a windowsill on a sunny day works best) until froth develops on the surface.
Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil.
Lightly flour your hands, and slowly mix the ingredients together until they bind.
Generously dust your surface with flour.
Throw down the dough and begin kneading for 10 minutes until smooth, silky and soft.
Place in a lightly oiled, non-stick baking tray (we use a round one, but any shape will do!).
Spread the passata on top making sure you go to the edge.
Evenly place the mozzarella (or other cheese) on top, season with the oregano and black pepper, then drizzle with a little olive oil.
Cook in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes until the cheese slightly colours.
When ready, place the basil leaf on top and tuck in!

Why this works on a weeknight

Pizza Express Margherita lands at about 55 minutes total — a little longer than our 30-minute target, but most of that time is hands-off simmering, which is why it earned a spot in our Sheet-Pan Dinners collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Pizza Express Margherita actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🍳 Sheet-Pan Dinners Miscellaneous Italian