The first time I tasted true Neapolitan pizza was in the sun-soaked streets of Naples. It was a moment that stayed with me: a soft, blistered crust from the wood-fired oven, fragrant tomatoes from volcanic soil, and just enough fresh mozzarella for creamy pockets. Nothing fancy—just honest ingredients prepared with care.
That experience transformed my perspective on pizza. The most exciting part is that you don’t need a Neapolitan pizzeria nearby to savor it. With just a few quality ingredients and some time, you can prepare the dough at home and capture that unique Neapolitan charm right in your own kitchen.
By using the special pizza flour, the dough has a better consistency and tears less easily. Unlike most pizza dough recipes, you only need very little yeast for this dough. This ensures a much better taste that is common with original Neapolitan pizza dough.
Preferably you should use Italian pizza flour, the so-called Tipo 00 flour. If not available you can use King Arthur regular white flour.
Italian style Neapolitan Pizza ingredients. Caputo 00 flour, yeast, water, olive oil, salt 
Adding active dry yeast to lukewarm water 
Add flour (Caputo 00), to the water with the yeast, stir 
Add about 2 tbsp olive oil to pizza dough. Stir 
Adding more flour to the bowl 
Adding salt, diastatic malt to the flour mixture 
Stir dough with Danish dough whisk, let rise 17 hrs. on counter 
Cover prepared dough, let rise 
Let rise dough (can be refrigerated overnight) 
Instead of balls, dough can be placed into a small soup bowl (about 260g each. Spray with cooking oil first) 
Weigh the dough, about 260 grams, a little more than 1/2 lb. Form into approximately 4 balls or place in a bowl (spray with cooking oil first) 
Freeze or store leftover Pizza dough 
Form balls of pizza dough, about 4 for this recipe (260 g) 
Roll out dough or flatten and stretch with fingers and hands leaving a wide rim 
Flatten pizza dough, press down with three fingers and stretch. Leave a wide rim 
Slice and chop your favorite Pizza toppings 
Flatten dough on pizza peel, leave a wide rim 
Place Pizza sauce on dough 
Add your favorite topping 
Add Mozzarella topping at last 
Bake dough in oven on Pizza stone/steel at 500F for 3 to 4 min., then boil for an additional 3 minutes until rim is golden with brown spots 
Pizza bakery in Naples Italy 
Pizza Bakery oven in Naples Italy 
Italian style Neapolitan Pizza is made in a flaming hot Pizza oven 
You can decorate the pizza after baking with the Basil or Oregano leaves.
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1/2 tsp yeast
½ tsp diastatic malt (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 jar Pizza sauce
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
Step-by-step instructions:
1.Activate the yeast:
Pour the lukewarm water into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Stir gently until the yeast is dissolved, then let it sit for a few minutes so it can begin to activate.
2. Start the dough:
Add about half of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir with your hands or a spatula until you have a thick, shaggy batter. This helps hydrate the flour and builds the base of your dough.
3. Add remaining ingredients:
Add the rest of the flour, the diastatic malt (if using), olive oil, and salt to the bowl. Mix everything together until the ingredients are roughly combined and no large dry patches of flour remain.
4. Knead until smooth:
Using a Danish dough whisk, your hands, or a stand mixer with a dough hook on low speed, knead the dough until it becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. This may take several minutes, depending on your method.
5. First rest:
Shape the dough into a rough ball in the bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in a warm spot. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes so the gluten can begin to develop.
6. Fold the dough:
After 30 minutes, uncover the bowl and gently fold the dough: using a spatula or your hands, lift the dough from the edge, stretch it slightly, and fold it toward the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat several times to strengthen the dough. Cover again with plastic wrap.
7. Long rise:
Leave the covered dough at room temperature in a warm place for at least 6 hours. For even more flavor and flexibility, you can place the dough in the refrigerator overnight. If chilled, take it out about 30 minutes before shaping so it can warm slightly.
8. Prepare your work surface:
Lightly flour a pastry mat or clean countertop. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface, gently press it down, and fold it a few times to tighten it. Roll it lightly in the flour so it feels firm and easy to handle.
9. Preheat the oven and stone:
Place your pizza stone or steel in the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C). Let the stone heat for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour so it becomes thoroughly hot—this is key for a Neapolitan-style crust.
10. Divide the dough:
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, about 260 g each. Shape each piece into a smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath. Place the dough balls on a lightly floured surface or tray and cover them with a cotton towel or plastic wrap. Let them rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour while the oven finishes heating.
11. Shape the pizza base:
Take one dough ball and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using your fingertips, gently press from the center outward, leaving a thicker rim around the edge. Stretch the dough with your hands, using three fingers to push and spread, until you have a thin center and a puffy outer ring.
12. Prepare the peel:
If you’re using a pizza peel, dust it generously with flour so the dough doesn’t stick. Carefully transfer the shaped dough onto the peel, making sure it can still slide easily.
13. Add sauce and toppings:
Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the dough, stopping before the rim so it stays thick and airy. Add your favorite toppings sparingly—Neapolitan pizza is all about balance—then finish with the mozzarella cheese scattered evenly over the top.
14. Bake the Pizza:
Carefully slide the pizza from the peel onto the hot stone or steel in the oven. Bake at 500°F for about 3–4 minutes, then switch on the broiler for another 3–4 minutes, watching closely so the pizza doesn’t burn. The rim should be golden with small, lightly browned spots.
15. Finish and serve:
Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for about 2 minutes so the cheese settles. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and/or oregano. Wait to slice the pizza until you’re ready to eat, so the crust stays crisp and the toppings stay in place.
Notes on leftover dough:
Any leftover dough can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or frozen for longer storage. To freeze, lightly spray plastic bags with cooking oil, place the dough portions inside, and seal. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before shaping and baking.
Use the Original Italian Yeast here on Amazon
You can make your own Pizza sauce and add herbs, like Basil and Oregano, or just decorate the pizza after baking with these Italian herb leaves.
I recommend a Pizza stone (or baking steel) that can be bought here:
THE PIZZA DOUGH BASIC RECIPE
The recipe for this original Italian pizza dough comes from an ancient Italian pizzeria in Naples and is written in old documents as “Pasta per la pizza numero 328” that was found on a faded piece of paper. For this dough you need original Italian pizza flour, the so-called Tipo 00 flour
But now to the ingredients. You only need a few ingredients for the basic pizza dough recipe. Therefore it is very important that you pay attention to the best quality of the ingredients used.
I have linked the ingredients below with which I have had the best experience:
Cabuto Lievito Yeast on Amazon is recommended, or Fleischmann’s active dry yeast
Diastatic Malt powder on Amazon (optional)
Optional Equipment:
Danish Dough whisk on Amazon (optional)
You can grill or bake the Pizza on a Charcoal Grill like the Weber. Click on this link for instruction
Italian style Neapolitan Pizza
Ingredients
- 4.5 cups flour (type 00)
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp yeast
- ½ tsp diastatic malt (optional)
- 1 1/2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 jar Pizza sauce
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese
Ingredient you’ll need for the original Italian style Neapolitan Pizza that can be bought here on Amazon:
Caputo Italian Pizza 00 Flour
Cabuto Lievito Yeast
Instructions
- Mix lukewarm water with yeast in a large bowl.
- Add half the flour and stir with hands or spatula.
- Add the rest of the flour, diastatic malt, olive oil and salt.
- Stir dough with Danish dough whisk or knead by hand (or Kitchenaid) on slow until smooth.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm location.
- Let sit for 30 minutes, then work the dough with spatula (or hands) by folding dough from the outside in.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter in warm place for at least 6 hrs.
- Can also be placed in the refrigerator overnight and taken out 30 minutes before preparation.
- Spread pastry mat with some flour.
- Place dough on pastry mat, press down and fold, roll in flour so it is firm.
- Preheat oven with the Pizza stone for at least 30 minutes to an hour at 500F with pizza stone or steel inside.
- Meanwhile divide dough in 4 balls (each 260g) and cover with cotton towel or plastic wrap for 30 minutes to an hour while oven heats up.
- Before placing into the oven, flatten the dough by hands, spread out with three fingers and leave a thick rim.
- If you have a Pizza peel, it needs to be covered with flour.
- Place dough on a Pizza peel and spread it with Pizza sauce and your favorite toppings (not the rim).
- Finish up with Mozzarella cheese.
- Carefully slide the prepared Pizza that is placed on top of the Pizza peel into the hot oven onto the Pizza stone.
- Bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 500F, then turn on the broiler for an additional 3 to 4 minutes watching closely so it does not burn.
- The rim should be golden and have lightly brown spots.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 2 min.
- Decorate with Basil or/and Oregano leaves
- Don’t slice the pizza until you ready to eat.
Notes
Leftover dough can be kept in the refrigerator for several days, or frozen in plastic bags (spray out with cooking oil first)
