Before then, flatbreads were cooked in wood-fired ovens and topped with ingredients like olive oil, garlic, and anchovies. But it was Raffaele Esposito, a Neapolitan baker, who created a pizza topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil for Queen Margherita of Savoy in 1889. The queen reportedly loved the dish, and thus the "Pizza Margherita" was born.