Flour, water, yeast, salt and a blazing wood-fired oven. That's how the very first pizzas were made, and that's how they are still made today in Naples.

The best Neapolitan pizza should have a large, beautiful, slightly crispy crust covered in small, dark spots (like leopard spots) caused by the intense heat. The center of the pizza should be thin and, above all, soft, with only a few delicious toppings combined with a subtle hint of smokiness from the wood-fired oven.

Refer to our dough calculator to get the perfect dough recipe for your Neapolitan pizza.

Neapolitan Pizza Lapizzashop.ca

– Proofing at room temperature (min 6 – max 18 hours) or cold fermentation (min 8 – max 72 hours)

– Oven temperature: 400 – 550 °C / 750 – 1020 ℉.

– Cooking time: 60 to 90 seconds.

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Preparation time: 3 days

Cooking time: 2 minutes minimum

Instructions

• In a large bowl: Weigh the flour and salt, then mix.
• In a second bowl: Weigh the (lukewarm) water and yeast, then mix.
• Activating/testing the yeast: We recommend testing the yeast by adding about 1/4 teaspoon of white sugar. Stir gently. After a few minutes, the yeast should rise to the surface, creating a foam, which means the yeast is healthy. If, after 10 minutes, the yeast has not foamed, discard the water and yeast and repeat step 3 with fresh yeast.
• Put the contents of both bowls into one container to mix them.
• Using a food processor and its dough hook, mix the ingredients from the 2 bowls for 10 minutes at medium/high intensity.

  ** PRO TIP: Start mixing at a low intensity, until the ingredients begin to form a paste (to avoid mess).
• After about ten minutes in the mixer: cover the work table with a little flour and then knead the dough for about 5 more minutes.
• IMPORTANT: At this stage, we're looking for a smooth, lump-free, and pliable dough. If the dough is difficult to work with, tears easily, sticks too much to your hands, still has several small lumps, and doesn't seem to be smoothing out, let the ball of dough rest for 5-10 minutes, then resume kneading. You may need to let your dough rest for a few minutes a second time.
• When your ball of dough is smooth, without any rough bumps, it's the start of the first fermentation. To do this, in a large, clean container with or without a lid, cover the ball of dough, as well as the bottom and sides of the container with olive oil to prevent the dough from drying out or sticking to the container.

  **PRO TIP: The container needs to be large enough, as the ball will expand to up to 2 times its current size.
• Place the dough in the container and cover with the lid or a clean cloth. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.
• After 2 hours, divide the ball into several small balls of dough (according to the weight you selected in the previous calculation).
• You are now ready to begin the second fermentation. To do this, you have two choices: rapid fermentation or slow fermentation.

  Rapid fermentation: fermentation that takes place at room temperature. The second fermentation lasts between 8 and 18 hours. This type of fermentation is perfect for dough to be consumed the same day.

  Slow fermentation: fermentation that takes place in the refrigerator. The second fermentation lasts between 8 and 72 hours.

  **PRO TIP: This type of fermentation is the most beneficial. It allows for the development of the most flavor and maximizes dough quality. The dough will also be easier to stretch.

  IMPORTANT: Before stretching the dough for baking, the dough must be at room temperature; allow approximately 2 hours for the dough to reach room temperature.

  **PRO TIP: Room temperature of approximately 20 degrees Celsius; if it is too hot, the dough will rise too quickly and will break when stretched, in addition to developing less of its flavor.
• IMPORTANT: Preheat the oven and baking tray. For a conventional oven, preheat the oven to 550 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30-45 minutes at the highest temperature setting, and preheat the baking tray that will be placed on the top rack. For an OONI or WPPO pizza oven, preheat the oven for 15-20 minutes.
• Sprinkle your work surface with a little flour and stretch the dough to form a round pizza. **PRO TIP: Try not to flatten the sides of the dough so that it's about 1 cm thick, which will form the crust. Also, try not to stretch the center too much to avoid creating holes.
• Before adding the toppings, place the dough on a pizza peel or parchment paper (which you will remove 15 seconds after putting the dough in the oven). Lightly sprinkle the surface with water to prevent sticking. Add the toppings quickly and avoid leaving the dough on the surface for too long. Add the toppings.

  **PRO TIP: Avoid using too much sauce. We all tend to overdo it. Spread the sauce, trying to use enough, but still allowing it to "see through".
• Cook the Neapolitan-style pizza at maximum temperature for approximately 90 seconds.

  In a conventional oven: Set to "Broil" and carefully monitor the cooking process without taking your eyes off the pizza. Cooking should take 90 to 120 seconds. It may also take slightly longer, depending on your oven.

  In a pizza oven type Ooni or WPPO, place the pizza on the pizza and rotate it every 20-25 seconds. Never take your eyes off the pizza and make sure that the entire pizza is cooked evenly.
• ENJOY and share your result on Instagram with the mention @lapizzashop.ca!