Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe

Neapolitan pizza dough looks simple because the ingredient list is so short: flour, water, salt and yeast. The difficulty is learning how those four ingredients behave together over time.

A good Naples-style dough should be soft, extensible and full of gas when it is ready to stretch. In the oven, the thin centre cooks rapidly while the outer rim — the cornicione — inflates into a light, airy crust.

Prices and availability for the Naples classes mentioned below change week to week, so check current dates before you plan around one.

Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe at a Glance

Makes: 4 pizzas Pizza size: about 28–30 cm / 11–12 inches Dough-ball weight: about 245–250 g Hydration: about 61–62%

Ingredients

• 600 g strong Italian 00 pizza flour
• 370 g water
• 17 g fine sea salt
• 0.5 g instant dry yeast

Baker’s Percentages

What Makes Neapolitan Pizza Dough Different?

Traditional Neapolitan-style dough is generally based on only four ingredients:

1. flour
2. water
3. salt
4. yeast

It usually does not require sugar, butter, milk or eggs. Olive oil is commonly used as a topping rather than as a necessary dough ingredient.

The distinctive texture comes from appropriate flour strength, fermentation, careful dough handling, hand stretching and very high baking temperatures. If you want the background on the style itself — the cornicione, the leopard spotting, Margherita versus Marinara — start with our guide to what Neapolitan pizza actually is.

Choosing the Flour

Italian Tipo 00 pizza flour is a classic choice.

However, “00” refers mainly to milling and refinement. It does not automatically mean a flour is strong enough for long pizza fermentation.

For an overnight or roughly 24-hour dough, look for a pizza flour with moderate-to-strong gluten development. If 00 pizza flour is unavailable, a good strong white bread flour can also work extremely well.

Water and Hydration

This recipe uses 370 g water for 600 g flour, giving hydration just over 61%.

That is a useful range for home pizza makers because the dough remains soft without becoming unnecessarily difficult to handle.

Higher hydration can create a lighter, more open crust, but more water does not automatically mean better pizza.

Other Naples Food Experiences You Might Enjoy

The dough technique below is the same one taught in the kitchens of Naples’ Centro Storico, a short walk from Spaccanapoli and Naples Cathedral. If you are planning a trip, the city runs hands-on pizza making classes, pizza and tiramisu workshops, pizza and gelato classes, wood-fire oven demonstrations with a local pizzaiolo, and full Neapolitan cooking classes covering pasta and antipasti alongside pizza. Most run 2–3 hours in the historic centre and include the meal you make.

Step 1: Mix the Dough

Pour the water into a large bowl.

Add the salt and stir until dissolved.

Add a small amount of flour and mix to create a loose batter.

Add the yeast, then gradually add the remaining flour.

Mix until no dry flour remains and a rough dough forms.

Step 2: Knead

Transfer the dough to a clean surface.

Knead for approximately 10–15 minutes.

The dough should gradually become smoother, stronger, more elastic and less sticky.

If it becomes tight, cover it and leave it for 10–15 minutes before continuing.

Step 3: Rest the Dough

Form the dough into a ball.

Cover it and let it rest for approximately 20–30 minutes.

This gives the flour time to hydrate and allows the gluten to relax.

Step 4: Bulk Fermentation

A practical home approach is:

• begin fermentation at room temperature
• refrigerate for a slow overnight fermentation
• divide and ball the dough the following day
• allow the dough balls to relax before baking

Step 5: Divide Into Dough Balls

Divide the dough into four equal portions of roughly 245–250 g.

Shape each portion into a smooth ball and place it into a covered container.

Step 6: Final Fermentation

Let the dough balls ferment until they become soft, slightly expanded, airy and easy to stretch.

If refrigerated, allow enough time at room temperature before baking.

How to Tell When Pizza Dough Is Ready

Press the dough gently.

If it springs back immediately, it may still be too tight.

If it feels soft and the indentation recovers slowly, it is usually much closer to ready.

If it has become extremely loose, sticky and fragile, it may be over-fermented.

How to Stretch Neapolitan Pizza Dough

1. Lightly flour the work surface.
2. Place the dough ball on the flour.
3. Coat both sides lightly.
4. Press the centre with your fingertips.
5. Push gas outward.
6. Leave approximately 1–2 cm around the edge untouched.
7. Rotate and continue pressing.
8. Lift the dough onto the backs of your hands.
9. Rotate gently while gravity stretches it.
10. Stop at roughly 28–30 cm.

Why You Shouldn’t Use a Rolling Pin

Fermentation creates gas bubbles.

A rolling pin compresses those bubbles from edge to edge, which can produce a flatter, denser crust with less oven spring.

Classic Neapolitan Pizza Toppings

Margherita

• 60–80 g crushed tomato
• 70–90 g drained mozzarella
• fresh basil
• extra-virgin olive oil

Marinara

• 60–80 g tomato
• garlic
• oregano
• extra-virgin olive oil

Baking Temperature

Traditional Neapolitan pizza is baked at very high temperatures, commonly above 400°C, often in roughly 60–90 seconds.

At home:

• use the oven’s maximum temperature
• preheat a pizza steel or stone for 45–60 minutes
• keep toppings light
• use strong upper heat if appropriate

Why Is My Dough Springing Back?

Possible causes:

• dough is too cold
• fermentation is incomplete
• gluten is still tight
• flour is very strong

Stop stretching and let it rest for 15–30 minutes.

Why Is My Dough Sticky?

Possible causes include high hydration, warm dough, over-fermentation, weak flour or insufficient gluten development.

Use a light dusting of flour and a dough scraper.

Why Does the Dough Tear?

Common causes include a centre stretched too thin, over-fermentation, weak gluten, overly warm dough or aggressive stretching.

Can You Refrigerate Neapolitan Pizza Dough?

Yes. Cold fermentation is extremely useful at home because it gives you more control.

Can You Freeze Pizza Dough?

Yes. Freeze individual dough balls, thaw slowly in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before stretching.

Does Neapolitan Pizza Dough Need Sugar?

No. At traditional pizza-oven temperatures the dough browns rapidly without sugar.

Does Neapolitan Dough Need Olive Oil?

Traditional-style dough generally does not.

Quick Recipe Summary

The whole recipe, start to finish:

• 600 g 00 pizza flour
• 370 g water
• 17 g fine sea salt
• 0.5 g instant dry yeast

1. Mix water and salt.
2. Add some flour.
3. Add yeast.
4. Add remaining flour.
5. Knead until smooth.
6. Ferment slowly.
7. Divide into four 245–250 g balls.
8. Let the balls relax and rise.
9. Stretch by hand.
10. Top lightly.
11. Bake as hot and fast as possible.

Learning Pizza Dough in Naples

A recipe can give exact weights, but the hardest part is understanding how dough should feel.

During a pizza-making class in Naples, you can see how soft properly fermented dough is, how little flour is used, how the rim is protected and how quickly a pizza is topped and baked.

The class most people book for exactly this reason is the Neapolitan Pizza and Tiramisu Cooking Class — 2.5 hours with a local pizzaiolo, rated 4.9/5 by 1,400+ guests, and the one where the hand-stretching technique is taught properly rather than demonstrated. If you would rather spend longer on the dough and less on dessert, the Pizza Making Class with Local Pizzaiolo (4.8/5, 124 reviews) is a pizza-only session, and the Neapolitan Pizza and Tiramisù Making Class (4.7/5, 977 reviews) runs smaller groups with a glass of wine and printed recipe cards.

Compare pizza-making classes in Naples →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Neapolitan pizza dough made from?

Flour, water, salt and yeast.

What hydration is good for Neapolitan pizza dough?

Around 60–65% is a useful range for many home pizza makers.

Can I use bread flour instead of 00 flour?

Yes.

How long should Neapolitan pizza dough ferment?

There is no single correct duration. Overnight or roughly 24-hour fermentation is convenient for many home cooks.

Should I use a rolling pin?

No, not if you want a puffy Neapolitan-style rim.

How much dough do I need for one pizza?

Around 240–260 g works well for a roughly 28–30 cm pizza.

Final Thoughts

Great Neapolitan pizza dough comes from balance rather than complexity.

Use suitable flour, measure accurately, give the dough enough time, handle it gently and bake with as much heat as your setup can provide.

Ready to Book?

The Naples pizza making class — dough from scratch, wood-fire oven, pizza and tiramisu — is rated 4.9/5 by 1,400+ guests. Classes from €20. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.