As a pizza masterclass that respects itself, this article is a long read. If you are in for taking your skills to the next level, you are at the right place. In this post, I deconstruct the pizza dough to its ingredients, describe the art of making Neapolitan pizza and list the tools you need for this, without technical jargon so anyone without prior experience can easily follow!
or keep scrolling to learn the secrets!
There's without doubt something magical about pizza; be it the combination of dough, tomatoes and cheese or the fact that it's round in shape, and can be sliced and eaten by hand. Pizza is the glue that holds us all together and pizza is always a good idea, it can be found anywhere, effortlessly and on a budget and makes everyone happy. What's more, for the home baker pizza lover with a garden patio or spacious balcony/terrace, outdoor pizza ovens are now quite affordable so anyone can make authentic Neapolitan pizza at home!
This post is not just another pizza recipe, but a masterclass for making artisan Neapolitan Pizza in an outdoor wood-fired oven. Here I reveal the secrets of mastering the authentic Neapolitan pizza dough recipe by highlighting the importance of high-quality ingredient selection and pointing out common mistakes to avoid. I also recommend cookbooks that helped me advance my skills and inspired me for topping ideas and generally upped my pizza game. Finally, I list the essential equipment you will need (what and where to buy online) to start baking superb pizza at home.
Let´s start with the oven.
The Pizza Oven
Before you bake, you will need a proper pizza oven. The good news is that you can bake Neapolitan-level pizza in your conventional kitchen oven although it will never be the same as an outdoor wood-fired oven. I suggest you buy the Pizza Pilgrims Cookbook which explains a very cool process for great results in a kitchen oven. The even better news is that outdoor pizza ovens are no longer considered a luxury and there are various brands and price tags to choose from. Two of the best wood-burning outdoor oven brands with top sales in the UK are Ooni and Grozney. Both run close in specs and performance and play high in their league; think it like buying a smartphone and choosing between Samsung or iPhone brands. Ooni Karu 12 and Grozney Roccbox are some of the most economically affordable and dual-fuel (wood and gas) options that can bake 10-12" pizzas to a Neapolitan pizza restaurant standard. I found Ooni Karu 12 is a better value-for-money option and I bake with wood (which adds to the flavour). Don't forget to add some kiln-dried wood and natural firelighters to your shopping basket if you go wood-fired.
Disclaimer: I do not work for nor get paid from the brands you will read in this post; the reviews are honest and based on my experience; I only get a small commission from Amazon if you buy from the affiliate links in this post, without this affecting the final price you pay.
Here is an anatomy of a slice from a pizza you will bake following my recipe and method:
Have you bought your outdoor oven and want to make Neapolitan pizza as in my photos? Are you craving that nicely raised crispy rustic crust slice with a velvety doughy, chewy bite? You are in the right place. Keep reading, and I will show you how!
The Ingredients for a Great Neapolitan Pizza
It is paramount you get hold of good ingredients, not least because the quality of the main pizza building blocks (flour, sauce and mozzarella) is precisely what will define the texture and flavour of your pizza let alone the experience of those eating. The good news for those in remote places is that anyone can get these ingredients from Amazon nowadays. I am including Amazon affiliate links for every ingredient I have trialled and tested until I reach perfection (my perception of perfection).
The authentic Neapolitan pizza dough recipe has 5 basic ingredients and then you have some others to aid you in stretching the pizza base and topping a basic Margherita pizza. In this section, I will explain how the ingredients work and how to spot and buy the best quality ingredients and kick it up a notch!
Let's get started:
1. Flour Type 00
Besides a topic of lots of discussion and science, of which most of us, including me, are little aware, flour is the foundation of every pizza and good flour is the cornerstone of every good tasty pizza. Each flour brand has particular characteristics which make it suitable for different types of baking. After experimenting with various types and brands I realised type and brand make a huge difference to the taste and texture of the pizza. The clear winner was Caputo Doppio Zero Tipo 00 (the authentic Neapolitan flour, which is a bit more expensive to import). I have baked with Caputo and cheaper conventional type 00s from supermarkets and local groceries and instantly noticed a massive difference in texture, elasticity and taste.
Caputo flour's supremacy is based on its gluten characteristics: its elastic gluten and soft starch will help your dough hydrate better and produce a soft, light crust with an extraordinary taste. Let alone such flour with strong, elastic gluten is ideal for dough that requires a long fermentation, which is necessary for authentic Neapolitan dough. I recommend buying Caputo in multipack to strike a better deal and stock for pizza and pasta making.
DID YOU KNOW? the use of plain flour on pizza will not give you the same consistency, texture and elasticity due to the lower protein content. Mixing 00 with leftover plain flour is a fatal mistake!
2. Yeast
Yeast is the second basic building block, without which pizza dough is doomed to fail. Have fresh yeast? Even better the taste!
Yeast will react with water and kick off the ‘fermentation’ or 'leavening' process. During this process, the yeast will expand the dough (rising) and generate flavour by releasing carbon dioxide (forming bubbles). Yeast performs best in warm environments and you will see what I mean when you see it bubbling into the warm water and expanding the dough when baked in high temperatures.
Although the advantages of using dried yeast (lasts longer, you can easily find it everywhere, and store it in the cupboard) are undisputable, the best is if you have access to fresh yeast. While fresh does not differ so much from dried in its capacity during fermentation, bakers prefer it as it gives the dough a stronger sour-ish kick in every bite. If you use fresh yeast, it is generally recommended to use double the quantity in grams of dried yeast mentioned in the recipe. I have been baking with different brands of dried yeast and found Allinson the most suitable for my dough.
COMMON YEAST MISTAKES: dried yeast in a tin is a bad investment; once you open the tin, the countdown to its death is started. So unless you bake things frantically and use the tin within a month, go for sachets.
3. Salt
Salt is a basic building block as it plays several roles in baking: first of all, controls the yeast fermentation (slows down the growth of yeast). Without salt, the yeast could go wild and its growth uncontrollable. Secondly, it strengthens the gluten. It tightens and strengthens the gluten strands that are formed, enabling the dough to hold carbon dioxide more efficiently and be easy to handle and knead.
4. Water
I usually make my dough for an outdoor pizza oven with 65% hydration (meaning 650ml water for 1 kg flour) which results in a light, not very sticky dough (easier to knead) that produces a crispier crust and chewier interior. Sometimes, depending on the quality of the flour you may need more or less water. During kneading, you will get to feel with your bare hands if more or less water is needed. The stickier the dough, the more flour is needed to balance out. So keep some extra flour for your kneading process. If you build your experience on dough handling and kneading, I recommend trying to increase the hydration to 70% (700ml water for 1kg flour). Not only will give you a lighter, crispier crust and a more chewy and doughy, bubbly interior but also a softer and mellower pizza base when baked in a conventional kitchen oven: pizza stays longer in the oven hence more hydration is required.
TIP: Tap water in megacities (like London) is very hard and has a distinct flavour that will manifest in your end product. I use Brita Jug to filter the tap water for my pizza dough (as well my tea and my soups).
5. Olive Oil
It's not a basic building block but a nice addition to Neapolitan pizza dough. Olive oil not only brings a more fragrant note to your pie but also aids the development of gluten during proving. Usually, I add it to the mix along with the water, to facilitate the binding of proteins, allowing the formation of a more homogeneous gluten. It will help the gluten to retain more gases that will form during the proving process. Buy extra virgin good quality olive oil for best results. Apologies to my Italian friends, but I think the Greek olive oil is a bit more premium so I am using Cretan or Kalamata olive oil which gives an amazing taste in my pizza dough.
The suggested ratio from pizza makers is 50:1. That is 50ml of extra virgin olive oil for every 1 litre of water. For my recipe, 2 tbsp should be enough.
6. Pomodoro (Tomato Sauce)
The tomato pizza sauce is all about the right tomatoes. And by ‘right’ I mean mostly flavoursome and with the right consistency. As I have mentioned in my Quick Italian pizza dough recipe post, the tomato sauce used in authentic Neapolitan pizzas is made from plum tomatoes called ‘San Marzano’ (protected designation of origin). The difference with all other commercial plum tomatoes or sauces is that San Marzano species are fragrant, with a robust red colour, dense texture and full-on flavour being nurtured by the rich volcanic soils of Vesuvio and ripen under the Mediterranean sun. For that reason, I use the Mutti brand, which is hands down the best Italian product you can find in your local supermarket in the UK or at Amazon. Go for the Mutti San Marzano plum whole tomatoes if you want to make your sauce (you’ll need a blender or food processor to make sauce) or get the Mutti Pizza Sauce for faster results. I recommend bulking up with a multi-pack as it comes cheaper plus you can cook not only pizzas but pasta sauces and other stews too.
COMMON SAUCE MISTAKES: the use of passata tomato sauce. Passata is not suitable for pizza. It has a creamy consistency and reduced hydration which will dry up completely after bake.
7. Mozzarella 'Fior Di Latte'
Fior Di Latte is the keyword for the mozzarella cheese you are looking for Neapolitan pizza in an outdoor oven. For it's a premium mozzarella made from cow's milk (as opposed to buffalo milk used in regular mozzarella) that gives it this light and delicate flavour and a paler tone of white colour. Its preparation technique also creates a characteristic firm and springy texture and makes it perfect to sustain the high temperatures of an outdoor wood-fired oven (>400c) without getting burned. Not that the classic buffalo mozzarella (which is sold in balls) won't make it, but it's wetter and will make your pizza base soggy. I recommend the Galbani Italian product that you can find in big supermarket chains in the UK:
COMMON MOZZARELLA MISTAKES: The use of cheap supermarket mozzarella or a finely grated mozzarella will burn the cheese during baking in an outdoor oven (>400c).
8. Fine Semolina
You will need fine semolina (not coarse) for stretching your pie for 2 reasons: For one semolina will give the texture and rustic look to your pizza crust, for another (and vitally important) it will reduce the friction so you can easily pop it on the peel and unload to the oven.
Essential Equipment for Pizza Making
Measuring Jug: You will need a 1-litre glass jug (so you can warm up water in the oven) or get a Pyrex Jug Set of different sizes which will be useful for other meal preps.
Large Airtight Food Container: You need to mix the ingredients and ferment the dough. I recommend the Sistema brand. I suggest getting a 9-litre container that will fit the expanded dough of this recipe (1 kg of flour).
Dough Scraper: You need a dough scraper (like the MasterClass brand) to aid in cutting, scraping, lifting, and shaping the dough.
Digital Scale: You will need a food-grade digital scale to measure the weight of each dough ball so that all your pizzas come in equal sizes.
Proofing Box: Not the most essential, but good to have as it keeps a stable temperature and humidity level for your dough balls to rest ;-) I recommend a large one like the Genus Dei (40x30cm) which can easily fit the 6 balls of this recipe. If you are baking bigger quantities for a party, may be worth getting the Chef Pomodoro 2-pack.
Bowls for toppings: I found this 6-pack of enamel bowls the perfect size for the sauce and toppings needed for the 6 pizzas you will make following my recipe. Alternatively, there is a 6 Compartment Trays Detachable Topping Station which has a lid and keeps everything nice and tidy plus it can be stored in the fridge.
Pizza Peel: I recommend a perforated aluminium Pizza Peel because it's lightweight and easy to slide, turn, and retrieve pizzas from your oven. The perforations also mean a perfectly cooked pizza every time as steam can evaporate to reduce sogginess while excess semolina falls away before serving.
Pizza Serving Board: There are quite a few options out there but I prefer the good old rustic looks of a round wooden pizza board.
Pizza Cutter: There are the classic wheel cutters (I like the Boska for the rustic looks and the Oxo good grips for their quality) and there are pizza rocker cutters which will rock your world by being so stylish and cutting straight through like a hot knife through butter.
Flat bottom ladle: this is for equally spreading the tomato sauce over your stretched pie. Get this one with the spout!
All the equipment you need in photos (swipe left - click to buy):
The Best Pizza Cookbooks
There are tens of pizza cookbooks out there but there are two of them that passed my tests and got my blessing. I frequently now use them not just for inspiration, but also for mastering different doughs and baking techniques:
The first one is the Pizza Pilgrims cookbook. It's an inspiring story of two young British pizza bakers/entrepreneurs who set sail to Italy on a van, on a mission to reveal the secrets of pizza across the Italian peninsula and bring back the best of it to open a restaurant. After a year on the roads of pizza birthplace, they figured out why they should use this flour and that tomato plus homemade fresh mozzarella. They opened the first Pizza Pilgrims restaurant in London which now is one of the best British Neapolitan pizza restaurant chains owned by non-Italians but preserving the authenticity of a good Neapolitan pizza. The book gives some great ideas for toppings and advice on cooking Neapolitan pizza using an ovenproof pan and a conventional electric oven pizzeria-style at home (which is a great idea for winter bakes indoors). For what it's worth, their recipes have been tested and work fine both in my kitchen oven and my outdoor wood-fired oven. The book is a joy to read, with beautiful photography and insightful stories about spotting the good pizza ingredients.
The second one is called The Pizza Bible, a book that every ambitious pizzaiolo should own. A comprehensive guide with photos on how to knead and stretch the pizza, covering nine different regional styles including Neapolitan, Roman, New York, and Detroit deep pan written by the 12-time world Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani. A great resource of ingredients and even demonstrates a method for homemade mozzarella!
Pizza Recipe
I was taught this recipe and all techniques by the pizzaiolos of the beautiful traditional Italian farm and trattoria at Sorrento (https://fattoriaterranova.it/). It doesn't have sugar (doesn't need sugar), neither requires poolish or biga making. After a few years of trial and error baking at my backyard Ooni oven, I have perfected the art of artisanal homemade pizza while I've learned a useful thing or two for home bakers, that I will be sharing here.
Ingredients (6 pizzas)
Makes 6 pizza doughs of around 260g balls, suitable for six 10 to 12" (up to 30cm) pizza bases.
I'll also explain how to freeze and store it if you don't need it all at once.
For the Dough:
1 Kg Type 00 flour - plus some extra for kneading (I use Caputo Doppio Zero 00 flour)
7 gr (1 sachet) of dry yeast - or 18g fresh yeast
3 tsp salt
650ml warm water (that's 65% hydration; for experienced bakers I suggest 70% hydration)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (I use Kalamata Greek olive oil)
Toppings for Margarita:
Fine semolina for stretching and baking (I use Caputo Rimacinata Double Milled)
1 Can (400g) pizza sauce (I use Mutti Pizza sauce)
400g Mozzarella 'Fior Di Latte' (I use the Italian Galbani)
A few gratings of parmesan cheese
Some fresh basil leaves
Methodology
Step 1: Prepare the dough
Measure 600ml water in your measuring jug and warm it up in the microwave for 1 min. Dissolve 1 sachet of dry yeast into the water; whisk thoroughly until there are no lumps and let it activate. You will know the yeast is activated if bubbles start to form:
Combine the flour and salt in a large airtight food container with a lid (you will use the same box for the fermentation process), make a well in the middle and pour the activated yeast mixture little by little, adding the olive oil at the end. Stir everything with a spatula until a rough dough is formed.
Step 2: Knead the dough
Place the dough on a large flour-dusted surface and knead briefly with oiled hands (so it doesn't stick) until it comes together as a ball. Continue kneading with both hands folding the top back to the bottom, then gently pressing it with both your palms. Knead with love because love is all we knead. Do that for around 8-10 minutes until dough is elastic and smooth (this will boost the gluten development resulting in a lighter and more flavoursome dough).
Now you have 2 options for fermentation: Go to Step 3 for long cold fermentation (1-2 days) or to Step 4 for warm fermentation (recommended for same-day baking) and freezing.
Step 3: Cold Fermentation (1-2 days)
Cold fermentation enables gluten in your dough to digest carbohydrates, which not only boosts the flavour of your pizza but also helps digestion. It's a long process so make sure you plan ahead before baking: the dough requires a night or two of proving in the fridge plus another 3 to 4 hours at room temperature before baking.
Close and secure the lid of the airtight container. Make sure the container is big enough as the dough will double its size during the process. Put it in the fridge and set a reminder on your phone for 4 hours before your baking time. Let it ferment in the fridge for 24 hours (long fermentation) or even 48 hrs (extra long fermentation and extra flavour).
3-4 hours before baking, take it off the fridge to bring it to room temperature (21-23c). Go to Step 5.
Step 4: Warm Fermentation (6-8 hours)
Cover the container with a towel and leave it to rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Past the 2 hours, punch it to deflate and put it back on the kneading surface. Knead swiftly stretching with the fleshy portion of your palm and fold. Do that repeatedly for 30 seconds.
If you want to freeze a part of your dough, this is the best time, take a look at the section"Freezing Pizza Dough". If you are not freezing the dough, put the dough back in the container and close and secure the lid. Make sure the container is big enough as the dough will double its size during the process. Leave to rise at room temperature (21c) for another 3-4 hours.
Step 5: One (1) hour before baking
Empty the dough from the leavening container and knead briefly until it's smooth again. Divide it into 6 equal pieces using a scraper or knife. It is useful to have a digital scale to measure around 250-260g for each ball. Form each piece into a ball (a combined motion of pressing and shaping with the sides of your palm while twisting the ball).
Tip: It is important to re-shape all your balls in a perfectly round ball shape (see the video below). This helps to keep the shape of the base circular during the stretching process.
Place each dough ball in a tray or a proofing box, sprinkle them with flour to prevent sticking, cover them with a dish towel and leave to rise in a warm place for another 30 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Start preparing your toppings.
Step 6: Stretching and Topping
Before stretching and topping your pies, pre-heat your outdoor oven (according to manufacturer's instruction) until is ready for baking.
Sprinkle some semolina on your stretching surface. Semolina will reduce friction (so you can load it easier on the peel) and will give this rustic feeling and look to your crust.
Place the dough ball on the semolina surface and lightly press down with your palm to make it a disc. Working from the centre, gently start pressing the dough outwards while spreading your fingers, making the disc bigger.
Pick up the dough and gently pinch it all around the edge, allowing gravity to pull it downwards but keeping the circular shape. Then using your fists start stretching until its final shape. If small holes are formed during stretching, gently pinch them back together.
Tip: stretching with rolling pin will not keep the round shape of the pizza; watch this really useful 3.5 min video to master the correct way of stretching:
With a ladle or large spoon spread the tomato sauce until all is covered except 1 cm around the edges which we want uncovered to rise and create the crust.
Add your desired toppings, pinch the edge of the pizza and quickly slide your peel under the pizza base (plenty of semolina will help this process by reducing friction).
Step 7: Baking
When your oven stone base reaches the proper temperature (you may need an infrared thermometer to start with but you gain experience after a few bakes), launch your pizza and cook it for 90 seconds, turning every 20-30 seconds to ensure an even bake.
Freezing Pizza Dough ❆
The best time to freeze the dough is after the first 2-hour rise (when the big dough ball is doubled in size). That's in step 4 of the procedure. Punch and deflate the dough, re-shape it to a ball and divide it into equal dough balls and separate the ones you want to freeze. Make sure you've put a light layer of olive oil into your freezing containers to prevent the dough from sticking. Place the dough balls into separate containers with lids, and straight in the freezer. They keep well frozen for up to 3 months.
De-freeze the Dough: The day before making your pizza, transfer the dough from the freezer to the refrigerator and then to your kitchen top 5 hours before baking to bring it to room temperature. Alternatively, transfer the dough to the kitchen table the morning of the day you are baking. When the dough thaws and rises to almost double its size, you are ready to bake. This slow process is best to achieve the same results as fresh dough.
In crust we trust!