Neapolitan pizza is made with Italian ingredients, including San Marzano tomatoes and whole wheat flour, and cooked for a short time in a very hot oven. The dough is made with high protein flour, yeast, salt, and water, and kneaded by hand. Toppings include a thin layer of marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella, and variations such as garlic and basil. Cooking in a stone oven is ideal, but a pizza stone in a gas or electric oven can also be used.
Neapolitan pizza is considered the most authentic of all Italian pizza pies. Based on recipes developed in the 19th century, Neapolitan pizza can only be made with ingredients grown and harvested in Italy, such as San Marzano tomatoes and flour that is milled from whole wheat. Unlike Americanized versions of Italian pizza, a truly authentic pizza of this type is cooked for a short time in a very hot oven.
The preparation of the Neapolitan pizza dough is the basis for creating an authentically Neapolitan pizza. Only ground wheat flour considered high in protein can be used in creating the crust. Brewer’s yeast, a small amount of salt and water are the only other ingredients.
A Neapolitan pizza crust is ideally kneaded by hand, although some sources say using a mixer on low speed will produce the desired result. After the dough is thoroughly kneaded, it is turned out onto a floured surface and formed into a thin crust. It is important to the final product that the crust is no thicker than 0.12 inch (3 mm) if the Neapolitan pizza dough recipe is to cook properly.
Once the crust is prepared, the tomatoes are diced and pressed to create a marinara sauce of just the right consistency. After brushing the crust with a thin film of olive oil, the tomatoes are placed on top of the crust. Shredded mozzarella which has been allowed to dry is then added on top of the crushed tomatoes and the pizza is placed in a stone oven which is preheated to 485 degrees Celsius (905 degrees Fahrenheit). The pizza can only stay in the oven from one to one and a half minutes. This is enough time to make the crust golden and crispy and to melt the mozzarella perfectly.
There are variations on this basic Neapolitan pizza recipe. Some require squeezing the minced garlic pieces into the dough before cooking. Others add finely chopped fresh basil to the dough during the kneading process, while others use the basil on top of the mozzarella. If a stone oven is not available, using a pizza stone in a gas or electric oven will produce similar results, although the cooking temperature is usually lower and the cooking time is up to ten minutes. While some would question whether these innovations are truly examples of authentic Neapolitan pizza, they have become acceptable in many circles.
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