Neapolitan Pizza Dough (Simple, Authentic, 48-Hour Cold Ferment)
You're about to make a pizza crust that makes people ask if you were trained in Italy.This dough makes it easy, with only four ingredients and some time. It has a rich flavor and soft, airy texture. The type of crust that feels fancy, even during an ordinary night at home.
Equipment
- 1 oven
Ingredients
- 722 g 00 flour
- 483 g water room temperature
- 2.71 g instant dry yeast
- 22 g fine salt
Instructions
Measure everything first
- Consistent dough is based on accurate measurements; this is not the recipe to measure just with your eyes.
It is better to use filtered or bottled water. The presence of minerals and chlorine may influence fermentation and the end flavor.
Dissolve the yeast
- Put the instant dry yeast in the water. Gently stir to mix and allow a minute. This gives a uniform distribution of the dough.
Mix the dough
- With the stand mixer on low speed, gradually add all the flour to the yeast water. Mix until a shaggy, rough dough is created. Bring to a speed of 2 and knead for 10 minutes.
Add the salt
- Add the salt and keep kneading on speed 3 for 5 minutes more, till completely mixed. The dough should be smooth, stretchy, and release out of the bowl easily.
The addition of salt is added after the initial mixing due to the potential inhibition of fermentation by direct contact with yeast.
Divide and ball
- Place the dough out onto a clean surface. Cut it into six portions of equal size, about 200 g each, and weigh on your scale. Roll each one into a tight, smooth ball.
The tight ball forms surface tension, which assists the dough in maintaining its shape during fermentation and allows it to stretch without tearing in the future.
Cold ferment for 48-72 hours
- Put the balls of dough on a sheet pan with a little oil on it, and allow space between the balls to allow them to spread. Tightly cover with a plastic wrap or fitted lid to avoid the formation of a skin. Refrigerate for a minimum of 48 hours. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. 48–72 hours is the sweet spot for flavor and structure.
It is here that the flavor is constructed. Cold fermentation will decelerate the activity of yeast and will permit the enzymes to break down starches to sugars, gaining complexity and that distinct tang.
Bring to room temperature
- Take the dough out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature (1-2 hours) before shaping. Dough that is at room temperature is loose, stretchable, and has the best oven spring.
Shape the dough
- Take one ball at a time and press in the center outward, with your fingertips. Preserve the gas bubbles at the edges; they become the airy, puffed crust. Do not use a rolling pin. Take the dough and allow the force of gravity to help you as you pull it into a 10-12 inch circle, with a thin center and a heavier rim.
If the dough is snapping back or resisting to stretch, lay it aside and rest it for a bit. Patience here means a dough that doesn't tear.
Top and bake
- Spread 2-3 oz of sauce in a thin layer, leaving a crust edge. Add fresh mozzarella, about 4 oz, sparingly. Place the pizza on a pre-heated pizza stone or in a hot oven and bake at high heat until the crust blisters, the edges puff, and the bottom is charred and crisp.
Neapolitan pizza dough requires high heat. A home oven at 500 °C with a preheated stone works, but a dedicated pizza oven (Ooni, Fontana Forni, or Breville) will deliver the best results.
Notes
If this is your first time stretching Neapolitan dough, it might feel like it’s going to tear, or like you’re doing it wrong. Stay gentle. Keep your hands light, let it stretch itself, and trust the process. When it naturally stretches from gliding between your hands, you’ll know. You’re starting to bake like an artisan Pizzaiolo!
Tips for a smoother pizza night:
- If the dough resists stretching, let it rest for 5 minutes
- Use less toppings than you think
- Plan ahead once, relax later. The long fermentation makes the cooking day easy
- 2.5 Tablespoons sauce
- 4 oz cheese
- aim for exposed sauce and gaps between cheese pieces