How to Make Neapolitan Pizza Dough like a World Best Pizza Chef

Ingredients

• 600 ml Water (room temperature, about 20 °C)
• 1000 g Type 00 Flour (W value 280‑330, finely milled for pizza)
• 30 g Fine Sea Salt (Kosher or fine sea salt, dissolved in water)
• 2 g Fresh Yeast (Active fresh yeast, crumbled)
• 50 g Extra Flour for Dusting (type 00, kept on work surface)

Instructions

1. Dissolve Salt

   Pour 600 ml water into the mixing bowl, add 30 g salt and stir until fully dissolved.

   Time: PT5M

2. Add Initial Flour

   Weigh 100 g of the flour (10 % of total) and add it to the salted water. Mix until a smooth slurry forms; this dilutes the salt and protects the yeast.

   Time: PT2M

3. Incorporate Yeast

   Crumble 2 g fresh yeast directly into the bowl and stir for a few seconds until it dissolves.

   Time: PT2M

4. Add Remaining Flour

   Gradually add the remaining 900 g flour, a handful at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together.

   Time: PT10M

5. Knead the Dough

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 12 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.

   Time: PT12M

6. First Fermentation

   Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rest for 2 hours at 20‑22 °C.

   Time: PT2H

   Temperature: 20-22°C

7. Divide into Balls

   Turn the dough onto a clean surface, portion into 4 equal pieces (≈220‑250 g each) and shape each into a tight ball.

   Time: PT10M

8. Cold Fermentation

   Place each ball in a sealed plastic container, close the lid, and let rest for 24 hours at 16‑18 °C (room temperature in a cool kitchen).

   Time: PT24H

   Temperature: 16-18°C

9. Bring to Room Temperature

   Remove the balls from the containers, keep covered, and let them sit for another 2 hours at room temperature before shaping.

   Time: PT2H

10. Preheat Oven and Stone

    Place a pizza stone on the middle rack and preheat the oven to its maximum temperature (≈450 °C / 850 °F) for 45 minutes.

    Time: PT45M

    Temperature: 450°C

11. Stretch the Dough

    On a well‑floured surface, press the center of a ball with your fingertips, then use both hands to stretch the dough outward, lifting it onto the forearm and rotating until a 12‑inch circle forms with a slightly thicker edge.

    Time: PT5M

12. Bake the Pizza

    Slide the stretched dough onto a lightly floured pizza peel, add desired toppings, and transfer to the hot stone. Bake for about 90 seconds, rotating once, until the crust is blistered and the bottom is golden.

    Time: PT2M

    Temperature: 450°C

13. Rest and Serve

    Remove the pizza, let it rest for 1 minute, then slice and enjoy using the traditional “a portafoglio” fold.

    Time: PT1M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

800

Protein

30 g

Carbohydrates

100 g

Fat

20 g

Fiber

4 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Type 00 Flour: Bread flour, All‑purpose flour (lower gluten)
• Instead of Fine Sea Salt: Table salt (use 20 g), Sea salt flakes (adjust weight)
• Instead of Fresh Yeast: Instant dry yeast (0.7 g), Sourdough starter (20 g)
• Instead of Extra Flour for Dusting: Semolina flour (for extra crunch), All‑purpose flour

Equipment Needed

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Kitchen Scale
• Wooden Spoon or Spatula
• Bench Scraper
• Kitchen Towel
• Plastic Container with Lid
• Pizza Peel
• Pizza Stone or Steel
• Oven (Wood‑fired or Home oven)
• Instant‑Read Thermometer (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Dissolving salt before adding the majority of flour to protect the yeast.
• Maintaining dough temperature between 23‑26 °C during bulk fermentation.
• Achieving a long, slow fermentation (24 h) at 16‑18 °C for flavor development.
• Hand‑stretching the dough without a rolling pin to keep the interior airy.
• Baking at ultra‑high heat (≈450 °C) for a short time to get the characteristic leopard‑spot crust.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use a kitchen thermometer to verify dough temperature; the ideal range is 23‑26 °C before shaping.
• A light dusting of semolina on the peel helps the pizza slide off easily and adds a subtle crunch.
• If you have a wood‑fired oven, position the pizza near the fire for the first 30 seconds, then move it to the back to finish.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: After the 24‑hour fermentation, dough balls can be kept sealed for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Freeze individual dough balls wrapped tightly for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator 24 h before use.

Room temperature: Do not store raw dough at room temperature longer than 2 hours after shaping.

Make-Ahead Tips

• The dough improves after a 24‑hour cold fermentation; you can make it up to 3 days ahead.
• If you need to speed up, a 4‑hour room‑temperature bulk rise works, but flavor will be less developed.

Frequently Asked Questions