Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Recipe

Authentic Neapolitan pizza is built around simplicity.

The classic formula is fermented dough, tomato, mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil. What makes the pizza special is how those ingredients are handled — and that part is far easier to watch than to read.

The recipe below is the one taught in Naples classes, which fill several days ahead in peak weeks. Check live dates before you plan around one.

Recipe at a Glance

Makes: 4 pizzas Size: about 28–30 cm Dough balls: about 245–250 g Pizza oven bake: roughly 60–90 seconds Home oven bake: roughly 4–8 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

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

Tomato Sauce

• 400 g whole peeled San Marzano or good plum tomatoes
• 4–5 g salt

Margherita Toppings

• 280–350 g well-drained mozzarella
• fresh basil
• extra-virgin olive oil

Marinara Toppings

• tomato sauce
• garlic
• oregano
• olive oil

Other Naples Food Experiences You Might Enjoy

Everything below is a technique before it is a recipe, and techniques are learned by correction. In Naples’ Centro Storico — the UNESCO-listed old town around Spaccanapoli and Naples Cathedral, where this method has been passed down for over two centuries — you can book hands-on Neapolitan pizza classes, wood-fire oven sessions with a working pizzaiolo, pizza and tiramisu workshops, pizza and gelato making classes, and full Neapolitan cooking classes covering pasta and antipasti. Most run 2–3 hours and end with you eating what you made.

Step 1: Make the Dough

Mix water and salt.

Add some flour, then the yeast, then gradually add the remaining flour.

Knead for approximately 10–15 minutes until smooth and elastic.

For the full method — hydration, kneading and troubleshooting — see our Neapolitan pizza dough recipe.

Step 2: Ferment

Give the dough time.

A practical home schedule is an overnight fermentation, with dough balls allowed to relax before baking.

Fermentation contributes to flavour, gas, extensibility and crust structure.

Step 3: Prepare the Tomatoes

Crush the tomatoes gently and add a little salt.

There is usually no need to pre-cook the sauce.

See our guide to San Marzano tomatoes for pizza for how to choose them and why the sauce stays raw.

Step 4: Drain the Mozzarella

Fresh mozzarella contains a lot of water.

Cut or tear it and drain for several hours.

The water content differs sharply between the two common choices — see buffalo mozzarella vs fior di latte.

Step 5: Preheat the Oven

Pizza oven

Aim for a very hot baking surface, often around 400–450°C depending on the oven.

Domestic oven

Use the maximum temperature and preheat a steel or stone for 45–60 minutes.

Full ranges and preheating times are in our pizza oven temperature guide.

Step 6: Stretch the Dough

Press the centre and leave 1–2 cm around the edge untouched.

Stretch by hand to about 28–30 cm.

Do not use a rolling pin. Our guide to stretching pizza dough by hand covers the hand positions and what to do when the dough springs back.

Step 7: Add Tomato

Use roughly 60–80 g.

Spread in a thin spiral.

Leave the rim uncovered.

Step 8: Add Mozzarella

Use about 70–90 g.

Leave visible gaps rather than covering the pizza completely.

Step 9: Add Basil and Oil

Add several basil leaves and a small drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Step 10: Bake Immediately

Do not let topped dough sit on the peel.

Pizza oven

Rotate as necessary and expect a bake of roughly 60–90 seconds.

Home oven

Bake around 4–8 minutes, depending on temperature and setup.

Pizza Margherita Recipe

For one pizza:

• 1 x 250 g dough ball
• 60–80 g tomato
• 70–90 g mozzarella
• basil
• olive oil

Pizza Marinara Recipe

For one pizza:

• 1 x 250 g dough ball
• 60–80 g tomato
• garlic
• oregano
• olive oil

There is no mozzarella.

Despite the name, traditional Marinara does not normally contain seafood.

Why Is Neapolitan Pizza Soft?

The thin centre receives moisture from tomato and mozzarella and spends very little time in the oven.

It should be tender and flexible rather than cracker-like.

Home-Oven Adjustments

If your oven only reaches around 250°C:

• use less tomato
• drain mozzarella well
• use a steel
• preheat thoroughly
• keep toppings light

Does the Dough Need Sugar?

No.

Does the Dough Need Olive Oil?

Generally no.

Common Mistakes

1. Too much yeast.
2. Cold dough.
3. Rolling pin.
4. Pressing the rim.
5. Too much sauce.
6. Wet mozzarella.
7. Too many toppings.
8. Low baking temperature.
9. Underheated stone.
10. Leaving pizza on the peel too long.

Number 7 catches more people than any other. Two to four main ingredients is the Neapolitan norm — our guide to the best pizza toppings sets out the traditional combinations and why restraint is the whole point.

Learning Authentic Pizza in Naples

A class can help you understand dough feel, hand pressure, stretching speed, topping quantities and high-temperature baking — the five things this recipe can describe but cannot teach.

The class built around exactly this method is the Neapolitan Pizza and Tiramisu Cooking Class — 2.5 hours from dough to a 450°C wood-fire bake, and you go home with the original Naples pizza and tiramisu recipes. Rated 4.9/5 by 1,575 guests, from around €20. If you would rather have printed recipe cards and a smaller bench, the Neapolitan Pizza and Tiramisù Making Class (4.7/5, 985 reviews) caps at 10 and works specifically with San Marzano tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella DOP from Campania. For a longer session that opens with an aperitivo, the Pizza & Tiramisu Making Class with Drink and Appetizer (4.9/5, 1,008 reviews) adds antipasti and a welcome drink.

Compare pizza-making classes in Naples →

Quick Recipe

Dough:
600 g 00 flour
370 g water
17 g salt
0.5 g instant dry yeast

For each Margherita:
1 x 245–250 g dough ball
60–80 g tomato
70–90 g drained mozzarella
Fresh basil
Extra-virgin olive oil

Frequently Asked Questions

What is authentic Neapolitan pizza made from?

Fermented dough topped with simple ingredients such as tomato, mozzarella, basil and olive oil.

What is the traditional dough?

Flour, water, salt and yeast.

Should the sauce be cooked?

Usually not.

What temperature should it be baked at?

Traditional ovens commonly operate above 400°C.

Can I make it at home?

Yes. Use maximum oven temperature and a thoroughly preheated stone or steel.

Final Thoughts

The secret to Neapolitan pizza is not adding more.

It is doing more with less.

Ready to Book?

The Naples pizza making class — dough from scratch, wood-fire oven, pizza and tiramisu — is rated 4.9/5 by 1,575 guests. Classes from €20. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.