Making Delicious Neapolitan Pizza

Discover the secrets of making Neapolitan pizza at home. No one will be able to resist your homemade pizza!

Neapolitan-style pizza has crossed borders and is one of the world’s favorites! Do you want to learn how to prepare it at home? Read on and discover the recipe step by step.

Contrary to what many people think, Neapolitan pizza is not a kind of pizza but a style of preparation that, of course, has its secrets.

The main differential of this pizza is its dough, which gives a result with a high and supple edge, far from the romaine which has a thin and crispy dough (and in some places of the world it is known as the classic pizza “a la piedra ”). Join us to discover this recipe step by step.

Neapolitan pizza

Preparation difficulty : medium

Preparation time (including rising dough) : + 24 hours

Let’s find out together how to prepare a real Italian pizza, in this case the Neapolitan variety which has a higher and more spongy dough. We offer you the classic and famous pizza margherita but, of course, you can vary the additions to your liking by incorporating all kinds of ingredients.

If you are on a diet, do not deprive yourself of eating homemade pizza every now and then. You have to pay attention to its ingredients to choose the best option that doesn’t spoil your plans to stay at your ideal weight.

Ingredients for 2 large pizzas

• 450 g strong flour
• 250 ml of water
• 12 g of salt
• 2.5 g fresh yeast
• Extra virgin olive oil (quantity required)
• 400 g of crushed tomatoes
• 250 g of mozzarella
• Fresh basil (to taste)
• Salt and oregano (to taste)

Preparation of the Neapolitan pizza

Preparation of the dough

1. Put a little water in a bowl and reserve the rest.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the first bowl. Set aside.
3. Put the flour in a large bowl and add the yeast dissolved in the water. Stir to combine.
4. Take the bowl with the water you reserved in the first step and dissolve the 12 grams of salt in it.
5. Add the salted water to the flour with the baking powder. Mix with a wooden spoon.
6. When you’ve got a sticky dough, it’s time to use your hands. Knead by hand until the dough forms a ball.
7. Put a little flour on the table and start kneading. You have to knead a little until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Neapolitan pizza-makers insist that the dough must be “slapped” to achieve the desired texture.
8. When you have managed to form a regular ball, place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a cloth and let it rise for a day. During this pause, the dough will triple in volume.
9. After the rest time, flour the table again and put the dough there.
10. Divide the dough into two equal parts. Place each piece in a bowl, cover with a cloth and let rise for an additional hour.

Preparation of condiments for pizza

• Place the crushed tomato in a container and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Mix.
• Add oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Book.

Pizza preparation

1. After the last period of rest, take a dough and spread it on the floured table, giving it a round shape. If you don’t have a round mold, you can make it square or rectangular. Try not to handle the dough too much to prevent it from losing air.
2. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
3. Put the baking dish you will be using for the pizza in it. Real Neapolitan-style pizza is baked in a wood-fired oven, but if, like most mortals, you don’t have one at home, use your oven and it will still look great. If you have one, you can use a pizza stone to give the bottom a crunchier texture.
4. Top the pizza with two tablespoons of the sauce.
5. Then add the pizza topping with olive oil to prevent the dough from sticking / Put the pizza in the oven. If you don’t have a pizza topping, you can place the pizza directly on the preheated pan.
6. Bake the dough for about 8 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and add the mozzarella.
8. Return the pizza to the oven to finish cooking for another 10 to 12 minutes.
9. Decorate with the basil leaves.

Ideas for a Neapolitan pizza

• In Argentina, for example, the Neapolitan pizza contains tomato sauce, mozzarella, and tomato slices seasoned with salt and oregano – delicious!
• You can add all kinds of ingredients to the recipe we have presented to you : mushrooms, ham, artichokes, anchovies, olives, bacon, onions, peppers, sausages or whatever you want!
• Some pizzerias offer varieties made with bechamel and spinach instead of cheese, for example.
• You can also make a salad-based pizza to add vegetables to your diet.

Play with your creativity and create a Neapolitan style pizza with all kinds of toppings. You can even throw a pizza party and make every variety imaginable!