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Neapolitan-Style Pizza Crust Recipe

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4.3 from 8 reviews

This traditional Neapolitan-style pizza crust recipe produces a thin, tender, and flavorful base perfect for authentic Italian-style pizzas. The dough requires a long, slow fermentation of 12 to 24 hours for optimal flavor and texture, followed by hand-stretching and baking on a preheated baking steel or stone at very high temperatures to achieve an ideal crispy yet chewy crust with a beautifully blistered exterior.

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

  • 2 cups (232g) King Arthur ‘00’ Pizza Flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) table salt
  • 3/4 cup (170g) lukewarm water (105° to 115°F)

Instructions

  1. Mix the dough: Weigh or measure the flour by gently spooning it into a cup and sweeping off excess. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add lukewarm water and stir until the dough forms a rough but cohesive mass.
  2. First rise: Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature overnight for 12 to 24 hours. The dough won’t double but will become slightly puffy.
  3. Preheat oven and stone/steel: Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 500°F to 550°F with a baking steel or stone inside for at least 30 minutes to ensure thorough heating.
  4. Divide and shape: Divide the dough into two equal parts (~200g each). Transfer one piece to a floured surface, stretch and fold each side of the dough four times, then fold ends to the middle and flip to form a smooth round ball with seams tucked underneath. Repeat with second portion.
  5. Second rise: Place the dough balls seam-side down in floured bowls, cover, and let rise 45 minutes to 1 hour while the oven preheats. Keep warm if needed.
  6. Prepare peel: Generously flour a wooden pizza peel or, for beginners or metal peels, use parchment paper instead of flour to prevent sticking.
  7. Shape the pizza: Transfer risen dough to a floured surface with the seam down. Using fingertips, gently press the dough without touching outer edges to preserve a bubbly crust. Lift dough and stretch gently using knuckles into a 10–12 inch circle, letting gravity help. Rest if needed for gluten relaxation.
  8. Transfer to peel: Move stretched dough to the floured peel or parchment, trimming excess parchment if used to avoid burning.
  9. Add toppings: Lightly sauce the dough, then add cheese and desired toppings.
  10. Transfer to oven: For wooden peels, jiggle pizza to loosen before sliding onto the steel/stone. For parchment, slide pizza and paper onto the baking surface.
  11. Bake: Bake on the steel for about 6 minutes (or 7 minutes on stone) until base is crisp and cooked through.
  12. Broil for finishing: Turn on top broiler and cook 2 to 3 minutes until edges blister and cheese bubbles, rotating to prevent burning. Avoid bottom broilers due to clearance issues.
  13. Repeat for second pizza: Let steel/stone reheat to temperature and repeat steps 7 through 12 for the second pizza.
  14. Serve and store: Cool slightly and serve warm. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat slices at 300°F for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Use King Arthur ‘00’ flour for optimal dough texture and stretchability.
  • Keep hands well floured while handling sticky dough to prevent sticking.
  • Allow dough to rise slowly at room temperature for best flavor development.
  • Preheat the baking steel or stone thoroughly to achieve a crispy crust.
  • If dough resists stretching, rest for 5 to 10 minutes to relax gluten.
  • Use parchment paper on peel if you’re inexperienced or using a metal peel to avoid sticking and tearing.
  • Watch closely when broiling to prevent burning and rotate pizza as needed.
  • Do not use a bottom broiler drawer due to insufficient clearance.
  • Leftover dough can be stored refrigerated and shaped later.

Find it online: https://cozyplatter.com/neapolitan-style-pizza-crust-recipe/