Neapolitan Style Pizza Dough
Making pizza at home can be a challenge, but with the right dough and a bit of planning ahead, you can achieve incredible results. This recipe comes from a lot of experimentation and is based closely on the famous dough from Roberta's Pizzeria in Brooklyn. The secret? 100% double-zero flour and a 48-hour fermentation for the most elastic, easily stretched dough with exceptional flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 cups 00 flour (Antimo Caputo brand recommended)
- 8 grams fine sea salt (1 teaspoon)
- 2 grams active dry yeast (¾ teaspoon)
- 1 cup warm water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the warm tap water and the yeast until dissolved.
- Pour the yeast mixture into the flour. Mix with your hands by moving the dough around the perimeter of the bowl until all the flour is well combined, about 1 minute. If the dough is too wet, add more flour and continue mixing.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Knead the rested dough for 1–2 minutes on a floured surface. Cut the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball.
- Place on a heavily floured plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24–48 hours. The longer fermentation makes for a far more elastic and flavorful dough.
- Remove the dough 30–45 minutes before shaping. Pre-heat your oven with a pizza stone to the highest temperature possible.
- Place each dough ball onto a heavily floured surface. Use your fingers to stretch it, then your hands to shape it into rounds. Place onto lightly floured parchment paper.
- Top with your favorite toppings and bake. If using a high-heat pizza oven, carefully remove the parchment 2 minutes in for a better crust. In a conventional oven, leave the parchment the entire time.
I use 100% double-zero flour instead of Roberta's 50/50 blend with all-purpose. It makes for more easily stretched dough and better flavor overall. If you can, invest in a specialty pizza oven that reaches 750°F — it will cook a Neapolitan pie in just 2.5 minutes and change your pizza game forever.
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