Neapolitan Pizza Dough
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Neapolitan pizza is prized for that perfectly charred crust with its signature leopard spotting, the tender-yet-chewy texture that can only come from proper 00 flour and a long fermentation – it’s the holy grail of pizza making from Naples Italy, where modern pizza was born. While I started with (and still love) New York-style pizza dough, this tried-and-true recipe for authentic Neapolitan pizza dough is an absolute must try especially if you have a pizza oven (no worries, if not you can use the skillet method).

The secret to great Neapolitan pizza starts with good flour (00 flour; I love the Caputo brand; find it at Wegman’s in the Northeast/mid-Atlantic area or order Caputo flour online). With just four ingredients – flour, water, salt, and yeast – plus careful attention to proportions and fermentation time, you’ll create a dough that will make you feel like you’re eating pizza in Naples. Consider making a batch of Italian wedding soup or escarole and beans while your dough ferments – they’re perfect companions to this pizza-making adventure!
Make this dough 6-8 hours ahead for same-day pizza, or let it develop even more flavor overnight in the fridge (12-72 hours) before baking.
Want to make smaller or larger Neapolitan pizzas? Use our Neapolitan dough calculator!
Ingredient Notes
- Quality ingredients are essential – especially the flour. Use authentic Italian 00 flour (like Caputo) as domestic brands don’t perform the same
- While bread flour can work, it won’t achieve the same light, puffy, tender-chewy texture
- Water: Temperature matters – use 65-70°F water for optimal fermentation
- Salt: Fine sea salt preferred. Table salt works but may need quantity adjustment
- Yeast: Instant dry yeast is best. For active dry, increase by 25% and proof first. Can substitute 5-20% mature sourdough starter
Methods Overview
This dough follows a classic Neapolitan technique that starts with an autolyse (initial rest after mixing flour and water) to develop gluten naturally. The long fermentation – either at room temperature for same-day pizzas or cold fermented for enhanced flavor – creates an extensible dough that’s easy to shape and develops complex flavors. You’ll know it’s ready when the dough balls are soft, pillowy, and slowly spring back when poked.
Briefly, here is what you’ll do (full instructions are in the recipe card at the end)
- Measure Ingredients – Weigh salt and flour separately, then dissolve salt in water in a large bowl.
- Make Initial Dough – Add flour to salted water, mix until combined, then incorporate measured yeast.
- Knead & Portion – Knead until smooth (5 to 12 mins, depending on whether using hands or a mixer) and let rise in bulk for 1 to 2 hours. Afterward, divide the dough into five dough balls.
- Rise & Rest – Coat balls and plastic wrap with cooking spray. Cover and rest for 4-6 hours at room temp (or in an OFF oven with a light/hot water pan). Use within 6 hours after rising, or place in the refrigerator for next day use.
Dough before rising, just after divided and balled.
Dough after 4 to 6 hours of rising, ready to be used.
Note: For authentic Neapolitan pizza, traditional methods require hand mixing, brick ovens, and natural yeast. See the 10 Commandments after the recipe card below.
Tips and Techniques
- Time is non-negotiable – proper fermentation develops flavor and texture.
- Quality ingredients matter, especially the flour – use authentic Italian 00 flour.
- Authentic Neapolitan pizza should be soft and pliable, not crispy.
- If you can, always weigh ingredients for accuracy.
- To measure without a scale, spoon light, fluffy flour (ie, make sure it’s not compacted) into your measuring cup.
- Shape dough gently to preserve air bubbles.
- Keep toppings minimal and at room temperature.
- Have all toppings ready before shaping the dough.
Freezing Pizza Dough
Freeze pizza dough either right after mixing or after the first rise. If freezing after mixing, the dough will undergo fermentation when thawed for maximum rise, while freezing post-rise dough saves time but may have less rise and browning since it undergoes more fermentations.
To store: Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap, place it in a freezer bag, remove all air, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before using.
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
📖 Recipe
Neopolitan Pizza Dough
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- kitchen scale highly recommended but optional
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 500 grams (17.6 oz) water (23-25°C/73-77°F) (500 grams of water = ~2 cups plus ~2.5 to 3 tablespoons)
- 845 grams (7.5 cups) 00 pizza flour (Caputo highly recommended)
- 25 grams (4 tsp) salt
- 0.5 gram (0.25 tsp) instant dry yeast
Instructions
To Make the Dough
- Begin by dissolving salt in the water in a large bowl. Then, add about 10% of your flour to prevent direct salt-yeast contact. Add the instant dry yeast to this slurry and mix immediately to dissolve.
- Add the remaining flour and mix until just combined with no dry flour visible. Cover and rest for 20-30 minutes.
- After resting, develop the dough fully – by hand. This takes 8-12 minutes of kneading or, in a stand mixer, 5-7 minutes at medium-low speed. Aim for a smooth, cohesive dough. Target dough temperature should be 24-25°C (75-77°F).
- Cover the dough with a slightly damp towel or plastic wrap, and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature (72-75°F) for 1-2 hours, then divide into individual balls (~270 grams each). When dividing, be gentle to preserve the developed gluten structure. If freezing the dough, skip to the Freezing the Dough section below.
Same Day Pizza or Hybrid Method
- After dividing, leave dough balls at room temperature for 4-6 hours before use. Warmer rooms (above 75°F) will require less time, and cooler rooms require more time.
For Next Day Pizza
- After dividing, cold ferment in the fridge (38-40°F) for 24-72 hours, then warm up for 2-3 hours before use. Place dough balls on a lightly floured tray with adequate spacing and cover well to prevent drying.
To Bake
- The dough balls are ready when soft and pillowy, nearly doubled in size, and spring back slowly when poked. These timing guidelines may need adjustment based on your kitchen temperature (less time if the kitchen is hot and more time for cooler kitchens).
- Bake as directed in your pizza oven. If you don't have a pizza oven, try this skillet method: Heat a large cast-iron skillet on high for 10 minutes (the water should instantly sizzle). Add the topped dough and cook for 60-90 seconds until the bottom chars. Using heat-safe gloves or several thick towels, transfer the skillet to the broiler for 45-60 seconds until the top is spotted and bubbly. This creates a remarkably authentic Neapolitan-style crust.
To Freeze the Dough
- Freeze pizza dough either right after mixing or after the first rise. If freezing after mixing, the dough will undergo fermentation when thawed for maximum rise, while freezing post-rise dough saves time but may have less rise and browning since it undergoes more fermentations. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap, place it in a freezer bag, remove all air, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before using.
Notes
*1g = slightly less than 1/4 tsp
*1.5g = 1/4 tsp
*3g = 1/2 tsp
*6g = 1 tsp Instant dry yeast measurements:
*0.4g = 1/8 tsp
*0.8g = 1/4 tsp
*1.6g = 1/2 tsp
*3.2g = 1 tsp Note: These are approximations since volume measurements are less precise than weight. When measuring small amounts like yeast, it’s better to use weight measurements for accuracy.
Nutrition
The 10 Commandments of Neapolitan Pizza
Did you know there are strict rules to making authentic Neapolitan pizza? Yes!
Some of these rules are prohibitive for most home bakers but we will review them anyway!
These 10 commandments are from the Association of VERA PIZZA NAPOLETANA, as reported by the book Artisan Baking by Maggie Glezer.
- The ingredients must ONLY include flour, natural yeast or baker’s yeast, salt to taste, and water. No sugar, no oil!
- The diameter of the pizza must not exceed 10 to 12 inches (30 cm)
- The dough must be kneaded by hand or by approved mixers that do not cause the dough to overheat (overheating speeds up the fermentation process)
- The dough must be punched down by hand not mechanical means (dough sheeter or rolling pins not allowed)
- The baking of the pizza is done directly on the oven floor (no sheet pan or other pizza pans allowed)
- The oven must be made from brick or materials similar to volcanic stone and must be fired with wood
- The oven temperature must be at least 750 to 800 degrees F (400 degrees C)
- The classic pizza toppings are Marinara (tomato, oregano, garlic, salt, olive oil); Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, olive oil, basil, salt); Al Formaggio (grated Parmesan; lard, garlic, basil, salt, tomato optional); and Calzone (stuffed with ricotta, salami, olive oil, salt)
- Variations on the classic are accepted provided they are not in conflict with good taste
- The pizza must not be crusty, must be well done, and fragrant and the border must be high and soft.
Read more about authentic Neapolitan pizza here.