Recipe
Neapolitan Pizza Dough
Just four ingredients, 00 flour and patience. Six dough balls at 60% hydration, proofed the traditional way at room temperature for around 20 hours.
A long proof makes the tastiest pizza
Pizza is thought of as fast food, but the truth is quite the opposite, especially the original Neapolitan pizza. It is traditionally proofed at room temperature for about 15-20 hours, depending on your schedule. During that slow rise, gas and aromatic compounds build up in the dough, giving it both flavour and a light, airy structure. So set your dough to rise the evening before, or the morning of at the latest.
Ingredients & batch calculator
~255 g makes one 30 cm pizza
Wetter is softer, but harder to handle
- 00 flour938g
- Ice-cold water563g
- Salt29.1g
- Fresh yeast0.5g
Makes 6 × 255 g balls (1530 g total dough), derived from the baker's percentages of the original recipe (flour = 100%, salt 3.1%, yeast 0.053% fresh). A digital scale gives the most reliable results.
Making the dough
- 1
Measure the water and dissolve the fresh yeast into it.
- 2
Salt is a preservative, so used incorrectly it kills the yeast's activity. Add 20% of the flour to the yeast and water and mix until the flour is moistened, this activates the yeast. Now pour in the salt with the yeast and flour, adding it evenly while mixing the dough continuously by hand or machine.
- 3
Add the rest of the flour at a steady, brisk pace. Knead the dough for 15 min (machine) or 20 min (by hand) until it is firm, even, and smooth on the surface.
- 4
Move the dough into a sealable proofing container. Proof it for 10 h in an even-temperature place (about 21 °C), protected from sunlight.
- 5
After 10 h, turn the dough out onto a flat surface and cut it into 255 g pieces. Roll each piece into a ball that is tight on the surface and well sealed at the bottom (no hole underneath), a sealed bottom makes the balls rise upward instead of spreading and losing their strength, and keeps the pizza evenly thick.
- 6
Place the balls at even intervals in a sealable (not airtight) dough box and proof them for a further 10 h in the same place as the large dough.
Shaping the pizza by hand
Sprinkle flour on the worktop so the dough doesn't stick, then press the ball open with your hands, never use a rolling pin. Start from the centre of the ball and press straight down towards the edge, moving both hands outward in parallel. This pushes the air trapped inside the dough towards the rim, which gives Neapolitan pizza its characteristic puffy crust. Leave an even airy border about 1-2 cm wide right from this stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use 00 flour?
For Neapolitan pizza, use 00 flour instead of regular wheat flour, it guarantees the right taste and texture. The number 00 refers to the grind, which is the finest possible. You will find it in well-stocked grocery stores.
Why such a long proof?
Neapolitan dough is traditionally proofed at room temperature for about 15-20 hours. During the long proof, gas and aromatic compounds form in the dough, giving it flavour and an airy, fluffy structure. You will genuinely taste the difference between a long-proofed and a briefly-proofed dough.
How do I change the hydration?
Hydration is the weight of water as a percentage of the flour (the baker's percentage). Multiply your flour weight by the hydration you want: 0.60 × 936 g ≈ 562 g of water for 60%. The wetter the dough, the harder it is to handle, but the softer the pizza. The calculator above does this for you.
What yeast should I use?
Always choose fresh yeast for this dough.