Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe

Step 1

Add water to a mixing bowl and dissolve the salt.

Step 2

Add 10% of the flour while mixing with your hands or a wooden spoon.

Step 3

When you have a smooth, batter-like consistency add the yeast and dissolve it (you don’t want the yeast to be in direct contact with salt, as this may damage it).

Step 4

Gradually add the rest of the flour while mixing, until you end up with one, single mass.

Step 5

Move the dough out of the mixing bowl to the countertop, and start kneading. Knead the dough by hand for 15-20 minutes, or in a stand mixer at low speed for 10-15 minutes, until you get a pretty smooth dough. The goal is to develop gluten and incorporate air into the dough.

Step 6

Leave the dough covered to rest for 15-30 minutes.

Step 7

Fold the dough over itself a few times and form a smooth, round dough.

Step 8

Place the dough in an airtight container, or in a bowl covered in plastic wrap, and let it rise for around 14 hours.

Step 9

After 14 hours, take out the dough, and cut it into dough balls of 250 grams each. Make sure the dough balls are smooth and even to get round, nice pizzas.

Step 10

Place the dough balls in a lightly floured proofing box and let them rise for another 10 hour. If you don’t have a pizza proofing box, you can place the dough balls individual bowls with lid or covered in plastic wrap instead.

Step 11

Preheat your oven. If you use a wood-fired pizza oven, preheat it until the floor of the oven is around 850°F (430°C) and the ceiling is around 900°F (480°C). If you use a home oven, place a pizza stone or steel in the oven and preheat on the hottest setting for at least 1 hour.

Step 12

Take out one dough ball from the rising box

Step 13

Place the dough ball in a small pile of flour and press it gently from the center using the palm of your hands. Make sure to leave around 1/2 inch (1cm) around the edge of the dough to form the crust. Then stretch it into a 10-11 inch (25-27cm) round disc.

Step 14

Get rid of any excess flour from the dough and place it on a clean part of your countertop

Step 15

Add 60-80g of Neapolitan pizza sauce in the center of the disc, and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon using circular motion.

Step 16

Add cheese and other toppings.

Step 17

Slide the pizza onto your pizza peel and quickly transfer it into the oven. You want to work quickly to prevent the pizza from sticking to the countertop or the peel.

Step 18

Bake the pizza for 60-90 seconds in a pizza oven, and make sure to turn it to get an even bake. In a home oven, bake the pizza for 4-8 minutes on a pizza stone or steel, depending on how hot your oven is. And if you have a grill function or broiler, turn it on during baking for an even hotter bake. That’s going to get you pretty close to the heat of a pizza oven!

Step 19

Using the pizza peel, remove the pizza from the oven, transfer it to a serving plate and serve immediately. Neapolitan pizza should be eaten right from the oven!