How to Make a Proper Neapolitan Pizza at Home

Directions

1. Combine room temperature water and yeast in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes. Slowly incorporate the flour, then add the salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky (not sticky). Target an internal dough temperature of 75–78°F. This sets the pace of fermentation from the start.

2. Cover the dough and leave at room temperature for 2 hours. This initial bulk ferment wakes the yeast before the cold slows everything down.

3. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls of approximately 250g each. To ball properly, cup your hand over the dough and use light circular pressure against the work surface until the outside feels tight and smooth. Surface tension matters here because a properly tensioned ball ensures even oven spring across the whole pizza.

4. Place each ball in a lightly oiled airtight container. Refrigerate for 48–72 hours. This cold fermentation is where the flavor complexity, sugar development, and gluten relaxation that define a great Neapolitan crust are built. (This step is optional but highly recommended)

5. Pull the dough from the refrigerator 2–4 hours before baking. It needs to reach approximately 65°F before it hits the stone. Cold dough placed directly on a hot surface will seize and shrink rather than spring.

6. While the dough tempers, make the sauce. Crush the San Marzano tomatoes by hand directly into a bowl. Squeeze each tomato until broken down but still slightly chunky. Add salt and oregano if using. Do not cook the sauce. It goes on raw and finishes in the oven.

7. Fire up the Versa 16 Pizza Oven and bring the stone to 750°F. Allow at least 15–20 minutes for the stone to reach full temperature.

8. Flour your work surface generously. Place a dough ball in the center and begin pressing outward from the middle with your fingertips, working toward the edge but leaving a 1-inch border for the corner. Pick the dough up and let gravity stretch it gently, rotating as you go. Work to approximately 10–12 inches. Do not use a rolling pin here because it degasses the dough and flattens the rim.

9. Lay the stretched dough on a lightly floured pizza peel. Work quickly from this point because the dough will begin to stick if left too long. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of crushed tomato sauce onto the center and spread in a thin, even spiral leaving the border clear. Arrange torn mozzarella across the sauce. A little olive oil drizzled over the top before the bake.

10. Slide the pizza onto the rotating stone. Close the door. Bake for 60–90 seconds at 750°F. Watch for the crust to blister and darken at the edges. This is leopard spotting across the edge of the pizza and color across the top. The motorized rotating stone ensures even exposure without you needing to touch anything.

11. Remove the pizza with the peel. Immediately add fresh basil leaves and a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add a pinch of flaky salt. Enjoy within 60 seconds!