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Authentic Neapolitan Pizza

Homemade Neapolitan Pizza

This chewy and airy Neapolitan pizza bursts with vibrant flavors of fresh basil, garlic, and mozzarella. It's simple, fresh and requires no special equipment. It's perfect to make with friends and family!
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Course: Main Course
Keyword: Homemade pizza, Italian recipes, Pizza
Prep Time: 14 hours
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 14 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 4 pizzas
Author: Hanna Dovel

Ingredients

Poolish:

  • 200 g. water (78° F)
  • 5 g. instant yeast
  • 5 g. honey
  • 200 g. "00" flour

Pizza Dough:

  • 300 g. bread flour
  • 300 g. water (78° F)
  • 20 g. salt
  • 200 g. "00" flour
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil (for tapping onto the dough after shaping)

Tomato Sauce:

  • 28 oz. canned whole San Marzano tomatoes
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 pinch fresh lemon thyme (can also use dried thyme)
  • 1 pinch fresh oregano (can also use dried oregano)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Toppings:

  • 16 oz. low-hydration mozzarella
  • 4 oz. proscuitto
  • 1 shallot

Instructions

Poolish Instructions:

  • To build the poolish combine filtered water (78°F), honey, yeast, and "00" flour in a glass mason jar. Mix everything together.
  • Allow the poolish to rest for 15 minutes uncovered on the counter.
  • After 15 minutes, cover the poolish and allow it to rest for an additional 1 hour at room temperature.
  • After 1 hour, transfer the poolish to the refrigerator and allow it to ferment overnight for 12-24 hours. Do not ferment the poolish for longer than 24 hours. It will turn into acid and not work properly.

Making the Dough:

  • 12 hours later, the poolish should have doubled in size and have lots of air bubbles. This is a great sign that the poolish is mature, active, and ready to be baked with.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the poolish, bread flour, and "00" pizza flour.
  • In a liquid measuring cup, combine warm, filtered water (78° F) and salt. Allow the salt to melt into the water.
  • Gradually add the water into the poolish and flour mixture, kneading everything together with your hands until the dough is combined and shaggy, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Next, transfer the dough onto the countertop and begin kneading the dough again for 1-2 minutes until it begins to come together and all of the big clumps of flour are worked out.
  • Once the dough begins to come together, perform 5-10 slap-and-folds. Slapping and folding is a technique of picking up the dough from its center and lifting it off the counter, then quickly slapping the dough back onto the counter. You are essentially folding the dough over itself in a slapping motion. This process adds a lot of strength to the dough.
  • Once the dough has formed a shaggy ball shape, tap a little bit of olive oil on the top, and set the dough aside to rest on the countertop for 15 minutes uncovered at room temperature.
  • After 15 minutes, gently fold the dough over itself, rotating the dough with every tuck-and-fold.
  • Perform 4-5 tuck-and-folds and then begin pushing and pulling the dough, scooping your hands slightly under the dough, until the dough is round and smooth on top. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Once it is smooth allow it to rest.
  • Next, tap the top of the dough with a little bit of olive oil and cover with a warm, damp tea towel for 1 hour.
  • After one hour, the dough should have risen and expanded.
  • Using an oiled bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into four equal pieces and use the same push-and-pull technique to form the dough into small, smooth balls.
  • Place the dough onto a lightly oiled sheet pan 3-4 inches apart from one another.
  • Allow the dough to rise with a warm, damp tea towel over them for 1-2 hours. They should double in size.
  • Once the dough is done rising, use a floured spatula and quickly scoop up the dough and place it into a bowl of flour.
  • Remove the dough from the flour and transfer it onto a pizza peel, sprinkled with semolina flour. This is where you will begin shaping the dough.
  • Begin gently pressing down in the center of the dough. When the dough is slightly flattened in the middle, use one hand to hold the dough down and the other to gently pull the side of the dough up and out, rotating the dough in 30° increments. Do this very gently. This will help keep the dough round, while gently stretching it out. Make sure to not crush the outer 1 inch of the dough.
  • Once the dough is about 12-14 inches in diameter, evenly spread a thin layer of tomato sauce and top with mozzarella cheese and any other toppings you like. I like adding thin-sliced shallot and prosciutto to mine.
    Note: I like to add my herbs after I bake the pizza because I think it keeps a stronger flavor. However, if you want to add basil before the baking process, drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on each basil leaf to keep them from burning.
  • Once your pizza is dressed with toppings, transfer the pizza off of the pizza peel onto the preheated pizza stone either on the grill or in the oven, and bake.

Baking Option #1 - Oven Baking Instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 550° F.
  • Place the top baking rack 6-8 inches from the broiler.
  • Place the bottom oven rack on the lowest portion of the oven. Place the pizza stone on the lowest rack.
  • Preheat the pizza stone for 60 minutes, or until it is about 660° F.
  • Generously coat the pizza peel with semolina flour and begin building out your pizza. The semolina flour will prevent the dough from sticking to the peel and burning in the oven so be generous.
  • Quickly shimmy the pizza onto the hot pizza stone.
  • Once the pizza is loaded, immediately turn the oven off and turn on the broiler to high heat.
  • Bake the pizza for 4-5 minutes.
  • After 4-5 minutes the bottom of the pizza should resemble leopard print and the crust should be nice and puffy.
  • Using the pizza peel, scoop up the pizza and place it on the top rack to toast it off.
  • Close the oven and broil for 30 seconds, then rotate the pizza and bake for an additional 20-30 seconds.
  • Remove the pizza from the oven and place it on a wire rack to set up for 2-3 minutes before cutting into it. This helps keep the bottom crispy and prevents any sogginess.
  • Top with fresh basil and enjoy!

Baking Option #2 - Grilling Instructions:

  • In a charcoal chimney over the grill, heat up the charcoals until they are slightly white on the edges. This is a good indicator that the coals are hot and ready to be cooked with.
  • Carefully pour the hot coals out of the chimney onto the back end of the grill. and place the pizza stone over the grill rack. Allow the stone to heat for 10 minutes, or until it is around 660° F.
  • Generously coat the pizza peel with semolina flour and begin building out your pizza. The semolina flour will prevent the dough from sticking to the peel and burning in the oven so be generous.
  • Quickly shimmy the pizza onto the hot pizza stone.
  • Once the pizza is loaded, cover the grill with the lid for 2 minutes. Note: Keep the air slits open so that the fire will not die.
  • After 2 minutes, rotate the pizza and bake for an additional 2 minutes.
  • After 4-5 minutes the bottom of the pizza should resemble leopard print and the crust should be nice and puffy.
  • Remove the pizza from the grill and place it on a wire rack to set up for 2-3 minutes before cutting into it. This helps keep the bottom crispy and prevents any sogginess.
  • Top with fresh basil and enjoy!

Making the Sauce:

  • Pour one 28 oz. can of whole San Marzano tomatoes into a bowl and begin crushing and breaking them down with your hands until the tomatoes are broken down with a few small chunks of tomatoes remaining.
  • Heat up a sauté pan over medium heat, and once hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Add to the pan 6 cloves of thinly sliced garlic, a pinch of fresh or dried thyme, and oregano, and stir for 20-30 seconds.
  • Finally, add in the tomatoes and cook down for 4-5 minutes.
  • Gently spoon and evenly spread the sauce over the pizza.