How to Make Authentic Neapolitan Pizza

Overview

This video delves into the strict rules defined by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana for making authentic Neapolitan pizza. Expert pizzaiolos and culinary scientists explain the precise requirements for dough, specific toppings, and the high-heat cooking process. Learn how to achieve a true Neapolitan pizza, whether in a wood-fired oven or a home kitchen.

Ingredients

• 1000 grams Tipo 00 flour
• 650 milliliters water
• 30 grams salt
• 3 grams fresh yeast
• San Marzano tomatoes
• Mozzarella di Bufala Campana

Instructions

1. Combine 1000 grams Tipo 00 flour, 650 milliliters water, 30 grams salt, and 3 grams fresh yeast to form the dough.
2. Knead the dough by hand for exactly fifteen minutes.
3. Let the dough rest and ferment for twenty-four hours at 20 degrees Celsius.
4. For the sauce, crush San Marzano tomatoes with your hands, add a little salt, and do not cook it.
5. Slice Mozzarella di Bufala Campana six millimeters thick and drain it in the fridge for four hours.
6. Preheat a wood oven to 485 degrees Celsius or a home oven with a baking steel to 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes.
7. Place the pizza in the oven; if using a wood oven, cook for ninety seconds, turning once at forty-five seconds.
8. If using a home oven, bake for 6 minutes, then use the broiler for 2 minutes to achieve char and blistering.

In this video

• Since 1984, the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana has strictly defined authentic Neapolitan pizza.
• The official dough recipe is precise, calling for 1000 grams of Tipo 00 flour, 650 milliliters of water, 30 grams of salt, and 3 grams of fresh yeast.
• Dough must be kneaded by hand for exactly fifteen minutes to develop its texture, rather than using a machine.
• A long, slow 24-hour fermentation at 20 degrees Celsius is crucial for developing deep, nuanced flavors and an airy crumb.
• Authentic toppings include hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes from the agro Sarnese-Nocerino with a little salt, and Mozzarella di Bufala Campana.
• The mozzarella must be sliced six millimeters thick and drained in the fridge for four hours to prevent a soggy base.
• Not cooking the tomato sauce preserves its delicate balance of sweetness and acidity, as its pH is not altered by heat.
• Traditional Neapolitan pizza is cooked in a wood oven at 485 degrees Celsius for exactly ninety seconds, turning once at forty-five seconds.
• The intense heat in the oven causes the water in the dough to flash into steam, instantly inflating the *cornicione* and creating *leopardo* spots.
• Home cooks can approximate the intense heat by preheating a baking steel for 60 minutes at 500 degrees Fahrenheit, baking for 6 minutes, then broiling for 2 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

What defines authentic Neapolitan pizza?

Authentic Neapolitan pizza is strictly defined by rules set by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana since 1984, covering ingredients, dough preparation, and cooking methods.

What are the key ingredients for authentic Neapolitan pizza dough?

The official recipe calls for 1000 grams of Tipo 00 flour, 650 milliliters of water, 30 grams of salt, and just 3 grams of fresh yeast.

How long should Neapolitan pizza dough ferment?

The dough must ferment for exactly twenty-four hours at 20 degrees Celsius, a process crucial for its soul, flavor, and airy crumb.

What specific toppings are required for authentic Neapolitan pizza?

Authentic toppings include hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes with salt (not cooked) and Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, sliced six millimeters thick and drained for four hours.

How hot should a traditional Neapolitan pizza oven be and for how long does it cook?

A traditional wood oven should reach 485 degrees Celsius and cook the pizza for exactly ninety seconds, with one turn at forty-five seconds.