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Neopolitan Pizza
4.5 from 78 votes

Neopolitan Pizza

Neopolitan Pizza features a soft, elastic dough made from Italian "00" flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and water, allowing for a tender yet crisp crust after baking. The sauce is a simple mixture of crushed canned tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, and black pepper, topped with thinly sliced fresh mozzarella and torn basil leaves. The dough rests in the refrigerator for fermentation, enhancing flavor and texture for a classic pizza experience.

Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Additional Time
1 d 12 hrs 35 mins
Total Time
2 d
Servings: 6 (10-inch) pizzas
Calories: 627 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, American

Ingredients

For the Pizza Dough:
  • 4 cups 00 flour Italian
  • 2¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1½ cups water at room temperature
For the Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 28 ounce crushed tomatoes canned
  • black pepper to taste
  • salt to taste
For the Toppings:
  • 16 ounces fresh mozzarella thinly sliced
  • basil torn or thinly sliced, fresh

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make the Pizza Dough: Place the flour, salt, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment; mix on low speed to combine. Add the water and knead on low speed until the mixture comes together in a rough dough and no dry flour remains. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Continue kneading on low speed for an additional 10 minutes. The dough should be soft, elastic and slightly tacky. If the dough is sticking to the bowl, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it clears the sides and is barely sticking to the bottom. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 72 hours.
  2. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and dust the top with additional flour. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into six even pieces (they should be about 6 ounces each). Shape each piece into a ball. Coat six small bowls with non-stick cooking spray and add one dough ball to each bowl. Turn to coat the ball, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for 2 hours.
  3. Prepare the Sauce: Place the olive oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Note: You can simply mix the ingredients together in a bowl if you are short on time, but the sauce will not be as thick.)
  4. Transfer 1 ball of dough to a bowl filled with flour and turn to coat. Dust off excess flour and transfer to a floured work surface. Gently stretch the ball of dough into a 10-inch circle, leaving the outer 1-inch edge slightly thicker than the center.
  5. Bake the Pizzas: Preheat the broiler to high and arrange the oven rack so that a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or other heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet) just fits underneath the broiler.
  6. Dust the skillet with flour, tap out excess, then heat the skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. Transfer the 10-inch round of dough to the skillet (it should cover the entire bottom surface). Spread some sauce evenly over the dough, leaving the outer 1-inch border un-sauced. Top with slices of the cheese and sprinkle with fresh basil. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil until the pizza is puffed and darkly charred in spots. Return the skillet to the stovetop and cook until the bottom is darkly charred in spots (depending on your pan, you may be able to skip this step if the bottom is already browned after removing from the oven). Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and serve. Repeat steps 4 through 6 to bake remaining pizzas.

Notes

  • Italian "00" flour provides optimal texture; bread or all-purpose flour can be substituted but may change the result.
  • If lacking a cast iron skillet, use a baking stone under the broiler for a crisp crust.
  • Unused dough can be frozen after initial preparation; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before use.
  • Nutritional values are based on one serving.

Nutrition Information

Calories 627kcal (31%) Carbohydrates 77g (26%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 22g (34%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Cholesterol 59mg (20%) Sodium 1531mg (64%) Potassium 553mg (12%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 840IU (17%) Vitamin C 12.6mg (14%) Calcium 443mg (44%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 (10-inch) pizzas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 627

% Daily Value*

Calories 627kcal 31%
Carbohydrates 77g 26%
Protein 28g 56%
Fat 22g 34%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 59mg 20%
Sodium 1531mg 64%
Potassium 553mg 12%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 840IU 17%
Vitamin C 12.6mg 14%
Calcium 443mg 44%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.