Neapolitan margherita pizza with a puffy, charred crust and basil
    5 min read Planning Guide

    Neapolitan Pizza the Way Naples Makes It

    Short answer

    Neapolitan dough is just "00" flour, water (about 60% of the flour weight), salt and a little yeast. Balls of about 250 g are stretched by hand, never rolled, and baked in a very hot oven — around 430–480°C in Naples — for about a minute.

    Quick guide

    Neapolitan pizza

    56 min Medium 4 pizzas, about 30 cm
    Oven
    Pizzas

    You need

    • 630 g Italian "00" flour
    • 378 g water
    • 19 g fine sea salt
    • 2 g fresh yeast (or a third as much instant dry yeast)
    • Peeled tomatoes (San Marzano style), fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella, basil, olive oil

    1. Make the dough

      Dissolve 19 g salt in 378 g water, crumble in 2 g fresh yeast, then mix in 630 g "00" flour. Knead 10–15 min until smooth.

    2. Let it rise

      Rest covered for 2 hours, divide into 4 balls of about 250 g, then proof covered for 6–8 hours at room temperature (or 24–48 hours in the fridge, back at room temperature 2–3 hours before baking).

    3. Heat the oven

      Heat the pizza oven to 430–480°C / 805–895°F. Give the stone or floor 40 minutes to soak up the heat.

    4. Shape and top

      Press from the centre outwards with your fingertips, leaving a 1–2 cm rim — never a rolling pin. Top lightly: crushed tomatoes, a pinch of salt, torn mozzarella, basil, a thread of olive oil.

    5. Bake

      60–90 seconds, turning every 20–30 seconds, until the rim is puffed and leopard-spotted.

    Plan the dough the day before or in the morning: it needs about 8 hours, mostly hands-off.

    Plan it around your serving time →

    Naples takes its pizza seriously enough to have an association that defines it: the AVPN (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana). You don't need a wood-fired oven to follow its principles. Simple dough, a long rise, a gentle hand and as much heat as your oven can give.

    What Makes It Neapolitan

    The AVPN rules describe a soft, thin centre with a raised, puffy rim (the cornicione). They also set the method: dough of flour, water, salt and yeast only, shaped by hand without a rolling pin, and baked in a wood-fired oven at around 430–480°C. Its older rules put the dough balls at 200–280 g and the finished pizza at no more than about 35 cm across.

    Why the Long Rise Matters

    A small amount of yeast and many hours of fermentation give the dough flavour and make it easy to stretch. Rushed dough tears and bakes up bready. Make it in the morning for dinner, or a day or two ahead and keep it in the fridge.

    Less Is More on Top

    A Margherita is crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and olive oil, and not much of any of them. Heavy toppings make the centre soggy and stop it from cooking in the short bake.

    Want to skip the guesswork?

    Getting Close Without a Wood Oven

    A gas or wood pizza oven gets you real Neapolitan heat. A kamado with a stone reaches 300–350°C, which is very good. A kettle or gas grill with a stone makes a tasty pizza in 6–8 minutes, though it won't be truly Neapolitan. Whatever you use, preheat the stone thoroughly; that's where the crust gets its heat.

    Plan Your Pizza Night

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    What flour is used for Neapolitan pizza?

    Italian type "00" soft wheat flour, finely milled. It gives a soft, stretchy dough.

    How hot is a Neapolitan pizza oven?

    Traditional wood-fired ovens in Naples run at around 430–480°C (800–900°F). At that heat a pizza bakes in about a minute.

    Can I make Neapolitan pizza on a BBQ?

    A pizza oven or a kamado with a stone gets close. A regular grill with a stone makes good pizza, but it bakes more slowly and the crust is crisper than a true Neapolitan.

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