Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Slow-Fermented Pizza Base — Italy

The 48-hour secret of Naples, simplified: five ingredients, one overnight cold ferment, and a crust with real flavor and big airy bubbles.

Ingredients

• 500 g — Bread flour (4 cups)
• 325 ml — Water, room temperature (1⅓ cups)
• 3 g — Instant yeast (1 tsp)
• 10 g — Fine sea salt (2 tsp)
• 15 ml — Olive oil (1 Tbsp)

Step-by-Step Method

1. Mix & rest. Dissolve yeast in water, add flour, mix to a shaggy mass. Rest 20 minutes — this autolyse makes kneading half the work.
2. Knead & fold. Add salt and oil, knead 8–10 minutes to smooth. Two sets of stretch-and-folds in the first hour build strength without a mixer.
3. Cold ferment. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours (up to 48). This slow rise is where the flavor and digestibility come from.
4. Ball & proof. Divide into 2 balls of about 250 g, proof covered 2 hours at room temperature until puffy and relaxed.
5. Stretch by hand. Press from the center outward with fingertips, keeping the rim untouched — that rim becomes the puffy cornicione. Never use a rolling pin.

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