To call a pizza a true Neapolitan pizza, one must adhere to the guidelines outlined by the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association, based in Naples, Italy, the birthplace of pizza. According to their rules, an authentic Neapolitan pizza must be:
- Cooked in a wood-fired oven. Gas, coal, and electric ovens do not qualify.
- Only fresh, high quality ingredients such as San Marzano tomatoes, 00 flour, fresh mozzarella, and other high quality toppings may be used.
- The dough must be formed by hand, be no more than an eighth of an inch thick, and should be cooked for approximately 90 seconds at temperatures over 800 degrees Fahrenheit.
So it's not possible to make true, authentic Neapolitan pizza at home without building a wood-fired pizza oven as part of an outdoor kitchen. But it is possible to come very close in a home oven, and enjoy that Neapolitan taste. Here are some tips and techniques to keep in mind:
Pizza Dough
Dough should ideally be made with an Italian typo 00 flour, like Caputo 00. The 00 designation describes the way that the flour is milled, to a more fine consistency than the average flour, which allows for higher hydration dough. Typo 00 flour also has a very high protein content, which creates more gluten in the dough, allowing it to stretch easily and well.
Dough should be made with only flour, water, salt, and yeast. No sugar is used in Neapolitan dough, because at the high temperatures at which these pizzas are cooked, the sugar blackens too quickly. Follow a classic, tested recipe for the dough.
Shaping the Dough
Dough should be worked by hand, never with a rolling pin. Gently stretch and push the dough on a floured surface. Alternately, one can hold the dough ball by the edge and allow gravity to stretch the dough. Keep turning the dough, always holding by the very edge, until the dough forms a thin disk.
Sauce
Sauce should be no more than crushed, drained San Marzano tomatoes (canned is acceptable). A bit of salt, basil, or oregano can be added, but a classic Neapolitan bright tomato flavor comes from the simple taste of just San Marzanos.
Toppings
Less is more in this style of pizza-making. Spread the sauce lightly, then top sparingly with fresh mozzarella and any other desired toppings. Fresh basil should be added after the pizza comes out of the oven.
Cooking the Pizza
If one doesn't have a wood-fired oven (and they are becoming much more popular in outdoor kitchens), preheat the home oven to 500 degrees Farenheit. Place a pizza stone in the oven and allow to preheat for at least a half an hour. Make the pizza on a wooden peel dusted with rice flour or cornmeal, and slide onto the hot pizza stone. Bake eight to ten minutes, until crust is bubbly and “leopard spots,” the dark nearly-charred spots on the crust, appear. Don't worry, the crust is not burnt; those leopard spots are a hallmark of a properly cooked, delicious Neapolitan style pizza.
Nicole Wills - Nicole Wills is the President and Lead Designer for Tradewind Tiaras, Inc., where she has built a business and designed accessories for ...
