All About the Pizza That Originated in Naples, Italy

One of its defining characteristics is that there is often more sauce than cheese. This leaves the middle of the pie wet or soggy and not conducive to being served by the slice. Because of this, Neapolitan pizzas are generally pretty small (about 10 to 12 inches), making them closer to the size of a personal pizza.

Neapolitan pizzas are also cooked at very high temperatures (800 F to 900 F) for no more than 90 seconds.

History

Pizza as we know it today (dough topped with tomatoes and cheese) was invented in Naples. Before the 1700s, flatbreads existed but were never topped with tomatoes, which is now a defining characteristic of pizza.

Tomatoes were brought to Europe in the 16th century by explorers returning from Peru. However, many Europeans believed tomatoes were poisonous until poor peasants in Naples began to top their flatbread with them in the late 18th century. The dish soon became popular. Many visitors to Naples would even seek out the poorer neighborhoods to try this local specialty.

Marinara pizza does not have cheese. It received its name because it was traditionally prepared by “la marinara” (a seaman’s wife) for her husband when he returned from fishing trips in the Bay of Naples.

Baker Raffaele Esposito, who worked at the Naples pizzeria “Pietro… e basta così,” is generally credited with creating Margherita pizza. In 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples. Esposito baked them a pizza named in honor of the queen whose colors mirrored those of the Italian flag: red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella), and green (basil leaves). This is what is now known as the classic Neapolitan pizza today.

Official Certification

The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) was founded in 1984 in Naples. The organization’s goal is to certify pizzerias that use the proper artisan traditions of authentic Neapolitan pizza.

They have several requirements that must be met to gain certification, and restaurants must apply for it officially. They also have an American branch and there are currently only a few hundred restaurants in Italy and around the world that are VPN certified.

Authentic Requirements

The official requirements of an authentic Neapolitan pizza begin with the crust. The dough must be made with highly refined Italian type 0 or 00 wheat flour, Neapolitan or fresh brewer’s yeast (not dry yeast), water, and salt. It must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer and formed by hand, without the help of a rolling pin.

The dough is topped with raw, pureed San Marzano tomatoes from Italy. It can use only two types of mozzarella cheese. One is fior di latte made from cow’s milk and the other is mozzarella di Bufala, made from water buffalo milk, typically raised in the Campania and Lazio marshlands in Italy. Finally, Neapolitan pizza is topped off with fresh basil and extra-virgin olive oil. The ingredients must be all-natural and fresh.

The pizza is baked for 60 to 90 seconds (baking time cannot exceed 90 seconds) in a minimum 800 F stone oven with a wood fire.

Variations

There are three official variants of Neapolitan pizza:

• Pizza Marinara: Topped with tomato, garlic, oregano, and extra-virgin olive oil
• Pizza Margherita: Topped with tomato, fresh sliced mozzarella, fresh basil, and extra-virgin olive oil
• Pizza Margherita Extra: Topped with tomato, sliced mozzarella di Bufala, fresh basil, and extra-virgin olive oil

Neapolitan-Style Pizza

Many restaurants and pizzerias make Neapolitan-style pizza. These do not adhere to the strict rules of the VPN association or are not certified simply because they never applied.

Neapolitan-style pizza typically consists of a thin and soft crust—if it is cooked properly at a high temperature, the crust will bubble up and be charred in spots. That is topped with a simple tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.

Prep:30 mins

Cook:5 mins

Rising Time:10 hrs

Total:10 hrs 35 mins

Servings:10 to 15 servings

Yield:4 pizzas

 

 

 

 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
225	Calories
8g	Fat
28g	Carbs
9g	Protein

 Show Full Nutrition Label

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

While you might not be able to make a truly authentic Neapolitan pizza at home without a wood-fired oven, this recipe will get you pretty close. The pizza pie originating in Naples, Italy, is known for its simple and fresh recipe; the fluffy, somewhat thin crust is topped with more sauce than cheese, which are pieces of fresh mozzarella that are dotted on, versus shreds that are sprinkled over the entire pie. Basil leaves and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil are the only toppings, this simplicity being a signature characteristic of Neapolitan pizza. Because of this, make sure to use high-quality ingredients for the best possible results.

 

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 4 cups Italian tipo “00” flour, or bread flour, or more as needed

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

• 1 1/2 cups water

• Cooking spray, or olive oil

For the Sauce:

• 1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

For the Toppings:

• 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch slices or torn into small chunks

• 2 ounces fresh basil leaves

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Steps to Make It

 

Make the Dough

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

    

2. Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Mix to combine.

   

    

3. Add the water and mix to combine.

   

    

4. Knead the dough on low speed for 10 minutes. The mixture should come together into a unified mass that barely sticks to the bottom of the bowl as it kneads. If the dough is sticking, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the mixer while it is running, until the mass barely sticks to the bowl. If the mixture is too dry, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the running mixer.

   

    

5. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 72 hours.

   

    

6. When ready to make the pizza, transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Divide the pizza dough into 4 even sections.

   

    

7. Coat 4 small containers or bowls with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil.

   

    

8. With floured hands, form each section into a ball.

   

    

9. Place 1 dough ball into each coated container or bowl. Lightly spray the top of each dough ball with nonstick cooking spray or coat with olive oil.

   

    

10. Cover each container or bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Each dough ball should double in volume.

    

     

Make the Sauce

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

    

2. Make the sauce by either pushing the tomatoes through a food mill or simply pulsing them in a food processor until a chunky liquid is formed.

   

    

Assemble the Pizzas

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

    

2. Heat the oven to at least 475 F, higher if your oven allows. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven to heat as well.

   

    

3. Onto a well-floured surface, stretch out each ball of dough into a 10-inch circle. Use a floured rolling pin if you need to. Don’t worry about the dough being a perfect circle.

   

    

4. Lightly flour a pizza peel making sure to cover where the dough will sit. Place one rolled-out piece of dough onto the peel and shake gently to ensure that the dough is not sticking.

   

    

5. Spread about 1/3 cup of sauce over the dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch of the edge bare.

   

    

6. Top the sauce with 1/4 of the mozzarella slices. Tear a few basil leaves and place them on top (according to your liking), and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. You can also add the basil and olive oil after the pizza is cooked.

   

    

7. Transfer the pizza from the peel to the hot stone by gently shaking the peel back and forth until the pizza slides completely onto the stone.

   

    

8. Bake about 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is charred in places.

   

    

9. Repeat with the remaining dough balls and ingredients.

   

    

10. Enjoy.

     

Why Is 00 Flour Better for Making Pizza?

The number, whether 00, 0, or 1, signifies the texture of the flour; 00 is extremely fine, which results in a soft pizza crust. This wheat flour also has a gluten content of 12 1/2 percent, making a chewy crust with puffy edges, ideal for a Neapolitan pizza. When using 00 flour in the dough, the pizza needs to bake at a high temperature, so if your oven won’t go higher than 450 F, it may not be worth spending the extra money on this pricy flour.

How to Transfer the Dough From Peel to Stone

Sliding the pizza from the peel to the stone can be tricky at times. If you’re finding simply flouring the peel isn’t working, you can add cornmeal, which will create a coarser barrier between the dough and the peel. An even easier method is to place a piece of parchment paper under the dough on the peel and then it will effortlessly slide onto the stone. Halfway through cooking time, remove the paper by gently pulling out from under the pizza.