Neapolitan-Style Pizza Dough

Neapolitan pizza is one of those things that looks deceptively simple — flour, water, salt, yeast — but the magic is entirely in the technique. This is the traditional style from Naples, protected by its own designation (True Neapolitan Pizza Association, no less), and it's defined by that gorgeous puffed crust known as the cornicione: airy, slightly charred, and wonderfully chewy. The key is a long, cold fermentation — at least 24 hours, ideally 48 — which develops deep flavour and a silky gluten structure you simply can't rush. This dough is made for a ripping-hot wood-fired oven, and it'll reward your patience handsomely.

Ingredients

Makes 4 dough balls (enough for 4 pizzas)

• 1kg 00 flour (or strong bread flour)
• 600ml cold water
• 10g fine salt
• 7g instant yeast (1 sachet)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Combine the flour and instant yeast in a large bowl and mix briefly to distribute evenly.
2. Add the cold water, salt, and olive oil. Mix with your hands or a dough scraper until a shaggy, rough dough forms — no dry flour left in the bowl.
3. Cover the bowl and leave to rest for 20 minutes. This rest (called the autolyse) lets the flour absorb the water and makes kneading much easier.
4. Knead the dough for 3–4 minutes until it feels smooth and springy. It doesn't need long — you're not trying to develop a baguette here, just smooth things out.
5. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with cling film, and refrigerate for 24–48 hours. The longer the better — 48 hours gives noticeably more flavour.
6. When you're ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and divide it into 4 equal portions (roughly 400g each). Shape each piece into a tight ball by folding the edges underneath and rolling gently on the work surface.
7. Place the dough balls on a lightly floured tray, cover loosely, and leave at room temperature for 2–3 hours until they've relaxed and puffed slightly. Cold dough is stiff and will tear when you stretch it — this rest is essential.
8. To shape, flour your work surface generously and press each ball out from the centre with your fingertips, working outward. Leave the outer edge untouched to preserve your cornicione. Lift and stretch gently over your knuckles — no rolling pin. A rolling pin crushes all those lovely air bubbles you've spent two days building.
9. Top lightly — Neapolitan dough is thin in the middle and doesn't want to be weighed down — then launch onto the hot stone or floor of your wood-fired oven. Bake at maximum heat (260–290°C floor temperature, or hotter if your oven allows) for 60–90 seconds, rotating once halfway through, until the crust is puffed and blistered with dark leopard spots.

Originally published by DeliVita. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.