Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Make the dough

1. Mix the water, then add flour. In a large bowl, whisk the water and yeast just to distribute. Add about 90 percent of the flour and mix with your hand or a spoon until you have a shaggy dough with no dry patches.

   

2. Add salt, then adjust with the reserved flour. Sprinkle in the salt and knead it in. Add the remaining reserved flour a little at a time until the dough feels soft and slightly tacky but not soupy. If it feels sticky, give it a 10-minute rest before adding more. Dough tightens as it rests. Try to use the listed flour amount and only add extra if the dough is truly wet and unworkable.

3. Knead briefly, then rest. Knead in the bowl or on an unfloured counter for 5 to 7 minutes until smoother. Cover and let rest 20 minutes. Then do one quick set of folds (lift and fold the dough over itself 4 times). Cover again.

Ferment and ball

1. Bulk rise. Let the dough rise at room temperature until puffy and expanded by about 50 percent, 8 to 12 hours depending on your room temp (roughly 70 to 75°F is a nice target). Visual cues beat the clock here: the dough should look slightly domed, feel lighter, and show small bubbles on the surface.

2. Divide and ball. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Divide into 4 pieces (about 255 g each). Shape each into a tight ball by tucking edges underneath and rotating until the top is smooth.

   

3. Second rise. Place dough balls into lightly oiled containers, cover, and let rise until airy and relaxed, 4 to 6 hours at room temperature. If you are refrigerating, cover and chill now, then bring back to room temp before baking.

Shape, top, and bake

1. Preheat hard. Place a pizza stone or steel on the top third rack. Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature for 45 to 60 minutes. If your oven has a broiler, you can use it at the end if needed for extra top color. Home ovens are awesome, but they will not perfectly replicate the super-fast, high-heat char you get in a true Neapolitan pizza oven.

   

2. Open the dough gently. Dust the counter with flour or semolina. Tip out one dough ball. Press the center outward with your fingertips, leaving a 3/4-inch rim untouched. Lift and stretch over your knuckles, rotating, until it is 10 to 12 inches.

3. Top fast. Transfer to a floured peel (or an upside-down sheet pan). Add sauce and toppings quickly. Keep the rim clean so it can puff.

4. Bake. Launch onto the stone or steel. Bake 6 to 10 minutes, depending on your oven, rotating once if needed. If the bottom is done but the top needs more color, switch to broil for 30 to 90 seconds, watching closely.

   Pizza oven note: If you are baking in a 750 to 900°F pizza oven, bake is usually 60 to 120 seconds. Turn often and keep a close eye on the rim.

   

5. Rest and slice. Cool for 1 to 2 minutes (just enough so the cheese settles), then slice and eat while it is still singing hot.

   

Quick troubleshooting

• Dough snaps back: it needs more rest. Cover and wait 15 minutes, then stretch again.
• Dough feels weak and tears: it may be over-proofed or your flour is too low-protein. Next time, shorten the rise or use bread flour.
• Pale crust: preheat longer, bake higher in the oven, or finish under the broiler.
• Flour burns on the bottom: use semolina sparingly and brush excess off the peel before launching.