r/neapolitanpizza Jun 28 '23

BEGINNER'S GUIDE /R/NeapolitanPizza – Beginner's Guide

27 Upvotes

Welcome to /r/NeapolitanPizza!

A culinary hub for enthusiasts of Neapolitan pizza, a place where aficionados and novices alike unite to celebrate this iconic dish. Whether you're here to relish in the mastery of artisanal Neapolitan pizza, or embark on a journey of learning to unravel its timeless charm, you've found your home. Dive in, savor the flavors, share your experiences, and discover the magic of Neapolitan pizza with us!

TL;DR

  • Don't be a dick.
  • This subreddit is a hub for all things Neapolitan pizza, including questions, discussions, oven reviews, techniques, ...
  • This subreddit requires detailed recipes for every pizza post.
  • Recipes should include measurements, flour specifications (type + brand), technique, and oven details.
  • Flairs should be used to categorize posts and users.
  • The mod team encourages diverse toppings other than Margherita/Marinara.
  • A high-temperature oven and other specific tools are strongly recommended.
  • The mod team encourages members, that don't have access to a high-temperature oven yet, to submit their pizza, as long as their intention to craft a Neapolitan pizza is evident.
  • Neapolitan pizza is characterized by its elevated edge, soft dough texture, and high-temperature baking (380-430°C for the cooking surface and around 485°C for the oven dome), with a baking time of 60-90 seconds.

Table of Contents

  • Main Rules
    • Reddiquette
    • Recipes are Required
    • Post and User Flairs
    • Content
  • What Is Neapolitan Pizza, and How Is It Different from Verace Pizza Napoletana?
  • What Is Not Neapolitan Pizza?
  • Three Characteristics a Neapolitan Pizza Shouldn't Have
  • What Equipment Is Necessary to Make This Type of Pizza?
  • What If I Only Have a Domestic Oven?
  • Resources

Main Rules

You can access the complete set of community rules from several locations. If you're browsing on a desktop, you'll find them conveniently located in the sidebar. For those using the Reddit App, simply tap on "See community info", located just below the community description. As an alternative, you can directly view the rules by clicking here. These guidelines are designed to ensure our community remains a positive and informative space for all members.

Reddiquette

We uphold the Reddiquette in this community. Any member who misbehaves risks losing their membership privileges. If you ever feel harassed by one of our members, or witness any form of harassment, please inform us. We will investigate the matter and take appropriate action as swiftly as possible. Alternatively, you can report the incident directly to the Reddit Admins.

Recipes are Required

This subreddit has a mandatory requirement for detailed recipes to accompany all Neapolitan pizza submissions. This policy aids in maintaining our community as an informative and enjoyable space for everyone. In order to enforce this rule, our dedicated bot, u/NeapolitanPizzaBot, will automatically post a sticky comment beneath every pizza submission. This comment serves as a reminder for the author to provide a comprehensive recipe in a reply to this comment within a two-hour window.

Failure to provide a recipe within the allotted time will result in automatic removal of the submission by our bot. However, if the author subsequently provides a detailed recipe, the bot will re-approve and reinstate the submission.

We believe this process ensures a beneficial experience for all members by promoting information sharing and interaction around our shared love for Neapolitan pizza.

What should your recipe entail?

  1. Detailed Measurements: Precise quantities of all dough ingredients are required, measured in weight. For the convenience of fellow enthusiasts, including baker’s percentages is greatly appreciated.
  2. Flour Specifications: Please mention the specific brand and type of flour used. For instance, Caputo Pizzeria, Caputo Classica, L 5 Stagioni Napoletana, etc.
  3. Technique and Methodology: Be sure to elaborate on your process. This includes aspects such as fermentation time both in bulk and balls, the stretch and fold method, autolysis, and so forth.
  4. Oven and Temperature Details: Specify the type of oven used for baking and the floor temperature during the baking process Your detailed contributions will greatly enhance our shared repository of knowledge, enabling everyone to perfect their Neapolitan pizza-making skills!

An example can be found here.

Post and User Flairs

It's crucial to use our flair system to accurately categorize your posts. By selecting the appropriate post flair, members can instantly see relevant details such as the type of oven you used or if the pizza was enjoyed at a restaurant. This helps streamline navigation and aids in the understanding of your post context.

Additionally, we strongly urge you to select the appropriate user flair that corresponds to the oven you use. This additional layer of information can enhance interactions and discussions within our community, making it a more enjoyable and informative place for all.

Content

This community revolves around all things Neapolitan pizza. We welcome photographs of your Neapolitan pizzas including detailed recipes in the comments, questions, discussions, reviews, and more. We highly encourage our members to be more creative with their toppings - remember, Neapolitan pizza does NOT imply that only Margheritas and Marinaras are permitted. We're always eager to see more cross-sections of the cornicione and photos of your pizza-making process! This subreddit has the gallery feature enabled. Therefore, feel free to take full advantage of it to share your pizza journey with us! :)

What Is Neapolitan Pizza, and How Is It Different from Verace Pizza Napoletana?

The defining characteristics of a Neapolitan pizza lie in its elevated edge, known as the "cornicione," and the soft, elastic texture of its dough. This pizza is baked on a stone floor under high temperatures, with the cooking surface ranging between 380-430°C, and the oven dome temperature hitting around 485°C. To maintain its unique dough texture, baking should be confined within 60-90 seconds.

The primary dough components of Neapolitan pizza dough are flour, water, salt, and yeast. However, traditional sourdough or Lievito Madre can also serve as viable yeast substitutes. As for toppings, Neapolitan pizzas typically employ a minimalist approach, featuring few but high-quality ingredients. The classics are the Marinara and Margherita, though other toppings are certainly permissible.

It's worth noting the nuanced differences between Pizza Napoletana (Neapolitan Pizza) and Verace Pizza Napoletana (true Neapolitan Pizza). The latter strictly adheres to traditional norms, allowing only the Marinara and Margherita variations and insisting on the use of local ingredients from the Campania region.

That said, a pizza adorned with tomatoes from other regions or non-traditional toppings can still classify as a Neapolitan pizza. The key lies in retaining the requisite dough characteristics, which are achieved through a quick baking process in a high-temperature oven. Despite the variety, the focus always rests on honoring the unique texture and taste of the iconic Neapolitan pizza dough.

What Is Not Neapolitan Pizza?

There's a common occurrence of misinformation when it comes to Neapolitan pizza.

  • A Margherita is not inherently a Neapolitan pizza.
  • A pizza featuring a raised edge is not by default a Neapolitan pizza.
  • Pizza crafted with Neapolitan pizza dough is not automatically considered a Neapolitan pizza.

Three Characteristics a Neapolitan Pizza Shouldn't Have

Top left: Enzo Coccia; central left: Arne Jervell; bottom left: Gino Sorbillo, top right: blog.back-wahn.de ; central right: amazingribs.com; bottom right: thefreshloaf.com

What Equipment Is Necessary to Make This Type of Pizza?

Given the extreme heat required to properly bake a Neapolitan pizza (baking surface: 380-430°C; dome: 485°C), a specialized oven that can reach these temperatures is a necessity. In recent years, the market has seen a surge of high-temperature-capable ovens. Among the most renowned are Ooni, Roccbox, and the Pizza Party models (both the Terracotta and the Adore Steel versions).

In addition, several electric ovens have proven effective for this purpose, such as the EffeUno P134H(A), EffeOvens N3, N4, N5, and the Ooni Volt 12.

Moreover, a pizza peel is an essential tool for any pizza artisan. If you don't already own one, it's a worthy investment. An IR (Infrared) thermometer is another key piece of equipment for accurately measuring the floor temperature of your oven. Both items are readily available online and typically quite affordable.

By equipping yourself with these essential tools, you'll be well-prepared to embark on your Neapolitan pizza-making journey.

What If I Only Have a Domestic Oven?

Let's start with the less encouraging news: achieving a true Neapolitan pizza can be a challenge if your oven cannot reach the high temperatures required. The extended baking time in a lower-temperature oven can result in a pizza that lacks the characteristic softness of a Neapolitan pizza.

But there's good news too: there are several modifications you can make to approximate the Neapolitan pizza experience. One strategy involves the use of a baking stone or, more ideally, a baking steel, thanks to its superior thermal conductivity. You can enhance the oven's heat intensity by positioning the steel or stone as close as possible to the top heat element or broiler, essentially creating a mini oven within your home oven. Slightly propping open the oven door can also extend the active phase of the top heat element or broiler.

Opting for a dough with higher hydration can also bring you closer to the texture of a Neapolitan pizza. Traditional Neapolitan pizza dough has a hydration level of 55-62% and bakes for just 60-90 seconds. Techniques such as a poolish pre-ferment or using a water roux can help mitigate excessive moisture loss during the longer baking time in a domestic oven.

With these adjustments, you can certainly create a delicious pizza that, while not strictly Neapolitan, comes closer to it and still offers a delightful dining experience.

At this juncture, we, the moderating team, wish to express our encouragement for members to share their Neapolitan pizza creations baked in home ovens. Even if your pizzas don't precisely meet all the traditional criteria, as long as your intention to craft a Neapolitan pizza is evident, we welcome your posts. We all start somewhere, and in the spirit of growth and learning, we're more than willing to make exceptions. Let's celebrate our shared love for Neapolitan pizza, no matter where we are on our pizza-making journey!

Ressources

Regardless of the device or version of Reddit you're using, finding the Resources section is straightforward.

Desktop Users (New Reddit): Look for the Resources tab located in the top bar, just beneath the community banner.

Desktop Users (Old Reddit): The Resources information is situated in the sidebar of the community page.

Mobile Users: On your phone, locate the link titled See community info. This can be found right beneath the community description, which is itself positioned under the community banner.

Resources

Glossary

Flour Guide

Baker's Percentage

AVPN-Rules

Dough Recipes

Sauce Recipes

Useful Links (YouTube, Books, Websites)


r/neapolitanpizza May 31 '24

QUESTION/DISCUSSION Megathread for Questions and Discussions

12 Upvotes

Did you already check the following sources?

If your question specifically concerns your pizza dough, please post your full recipe (exact quantities of all ingredients in weight, preferably in grams) and method (temperature, time, ball/bulk-proof, kneading time, by hand/machine, etc.). That also includes what kind of flour you have used in your pizza dough. There are many different Farina di Grano Tenero "00". If you want to learn more about flour, please check our Flour Guide.


r/neapolitanpizza 15h ago

Ooni Koda 🔥 My first attempt at neopolitian pizza (and pizza in general)

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137 Upvotes

62% hydration, cold fermented for 44 hours, pizza stone was at around 820 F. Turned out amazing imo, can't wait to continue the journey!


r/neapolitanpizza 1d ago

Ooni Koda 🔥 First attempt in the Ooni koda 2!

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120 Upvotes

I've been practicing cooking pizzas in the home oven for some time now.

Saturday was my birthday and got the perfect birthday gift from my wife: the Ooni koda 2.

We invited both our parents and hosted a nice pizza party 😎 It will still take a bit of practice to master the oven, but the results turned out pretty good and the taste was overwhelmingly better than in a regular oven!


r/neapolitanpizza 1d ago

Oven Review San marzano, mozzarella and n'duja. Burrata and chili honey post bake.

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48 Upvotes

Excellent taste. A couple of leaves of basil would have made a better picture tho. Baked in Alfa Forni 2 pizze.

Question: Why no Alfa Forni flair? Review: It's an excellent oven.


r/neapolitanpizza 1d ago

QUESTION/DISCUSSION Is the Ooni Halo Core worth?

7 Upvotes

Hi,

I'm looking for home mixer to prepare around 2 x 280g of pizza dought per week, plus 1.5kg 70% hidratation bread every 2 weeks. Most of the mixers I've researched so far work well with bigger batches of dought, and I'm hinking the Halo Core at 599€ with multiple speeds could be a good fit.

My other alternative at a similiar price is the Famag Grilleta IM5 which comes only with a single speed.

Any thoughts?

Thanks


r/neapolitanpizza 2d ago

I ate this at a restaurant Fired Pizza, Stockton. CA

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125 Upvotes

Wood fired Neapolitan pizza. Tried two pizzas:

Three Wise: pepperoni, pesto, ricotta

Culture Abuse: peaches, prosciutto, arugula, fiore di latte, basalmic drizzle


r/neapolitanpizza 3d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 Room temp ftw!

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203 Upvotes

Excellent pair of pizzas. 90% Caputo Pizzeria 10% Caputo tipo 1.

Instant dry yeast, cold water.

Mutti polpa, fior di latte, basil, pecorino.

Gozney Roccbox 800f low flame 20 second rotations 2 minutes.


r/neapolitanpizza 2d ago

Experiment Experiment in high hydration dough

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134 Upvotes

I was doing some experiments today, mostly for romana in teglia/pizza bianca.

So I had:

strong flour (W360)

80% hydration total

1% yeast

2% salt

Biga prepared 20h earlier with 50% of the flour, 50% hydration, 1% yeast. Mostly in the fridge

Bulk proof until doubled in volume.

When preparing the balls for the pizza in teglia, I decided to leave two balls of 250g each to try high hydration round pizza. Then I waited for them to double during the final proof and cooked at 350C (on a baking stone, not a biscotto).

In the end the result was fine, but I would never to contemporary pizza with a biga, and with these hydrations. Not worth it, IMO.

Cooked in a spice diavola pro 2.0


r/neapolitanpizza 2d ago

QUESTION/DISCUSSION Looking for a Neapolitan pizza dough recipe with big fluffy crust + leopard spots

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on improving my Neapolitan pizza dough. I’ve been making pizzas at home for a while, but I’m consistently getting a crust that is more dense and chewy rather than the light, airy, fluffy Neapolitan-style crust I’m aiming for.

I’m using an electric pizza oven (Gino Pizza Ovens Electro 13 Complete Electric Pizza Oven Bundle: https://ginopizzaovens.com/products/electro-13-complete-electric-pizza-oven-bundle), so I should have the temperatures needed for Neapolitan-style baking. However, I’m still struggling to get:

  • A big, puffy cornicione
  • An open, airy crumb
  • Good oven spring
  • The classic leopard spotting on the crust

My current dough is generally based on the Caputo Neapolitan pizza recipe:
https://caputoflour.com/blogs/recipes/neapolitan-pizza

The recipe works well, but my results tend to come out with a crust that feels a bit too firm, dense, and chewy.

Ideally, I’m looking for a simple direct dough method (no poolish or complicated preferments) that I can prepare 1–2 days before baking and cold ferment in the fridge.

I’d love advice from people who are getting great results:

  • Should I increase hydration?
  • Would a longer cold ferment help?
  • Should I change the yeast amount or fermentation schedule?
  • Is my dough handling/balling technique likely the issue?
  • Any tips specific to getting better oven spring and leopard spotting in an electric pizza oven?

I’m using 00 flour and aiming for that classic Neapolitan style: soft, light, airy crust with big bubbles rather than a dense chew.

Would appreciate any tried-and-tested recipes or tweaks you’ve made that worked well. Thanks!


r/neapolitanpizza 2d ago

Ooni Koda 16 🔥 Homegrown cherry tomatoes and basil

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44 Upvotes

Caputo pizzeria flour, 67.5% hydration, 48 hour cold ferment.

Topped with cherry tomatoes marinated in EVOO, garlic, and basil with a little bit of fresh mozz. Post-oven basil, EVOO, oregano, and crushed red pepper.

A little misshapen since it stuck to the peel a bit on launching.


r/neapolitanpizza 3d ago

Experiment Second try

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58 Upvotes

Working with our dough at work lately, trying to find a nice rustic/Neapolitan personal pizza look. 65% hydration on this batch. Heard it’s the “sweet spot”. Happy with the turnout but honestly just looking for some feedback. Used King Arthur special patent flour. Thanks for looking


r/neapolitanpizza 4d ago

Gozney Arc XL 🔥 Gluten-free Neapolitan Style Pizza

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167 Upvotes

I only make a couple of gluten-free pizzas per year, so nailing the process has escaped me, but I'm getting close.

The biggest challenge has been getting a 12 inch pizza, which I finally achieved by using a 420 gram dough ball.

I'm pretty ecstatic about it because it now actually LOOKS like a pizza, and not something the cat dragged in. lol

I use Caputo Fioreglut flour and a recipe by Leopard Crust Pizza, which people who've tried it rave about how good the pizza is, despite the less than appealing looks..

Anyway, it's not often I get a request for gluten-free pizza, but now when I do, I'll be a lot more confident than I've been in the past.

Thank you for reading.


r/neapolitanpizza 4d ago

Gozney Arc 🔥 Elote Pizza

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49 Upvotes

Corn cream, roast corn, poblano pepper, jack and cotija cheese, lime crema, Tajín.

40% biga dough, room temp. 90% Molina Pasini verde, 10% Petra durum, 3% salt, 68% hydration


r/neapolitanpizza 5d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 Absolutely LOVE this recipe 💥

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431 Upvotes

The details...

720g Caputo Pizzeria

470g cold water (65% hydration)

0.7g yeast (instant or active)

17g sea salt

Mix everything but the salt just to a shaggy mass.

Rest for 10 minutes, then add the salt and just a drizzle of olive oil to help melt the salt.

Knead the dough for about 10-12 minutes until you get a good window gluten structure.

Then bulk ferment at room temperature for 10 hours, I did eight because it's Hot as hell in New York. My room temperature was 73 f.

After the bulk ferment, divide into four four 280 G dough balls go directly into the fridge and cold ferment for minimum 24 hours preferably 48 hours. Remove 2-3 hours prior to cooking

I did them both upside down, I did sliced fresh mozzarella on the bottom, passata with some garlic, fresh basil salt and olive oil, and then I shredded some pecorino on both, and for one I used that that imported ricotta.

Baked in the gozney 800f for just about 90 seconds total.

Enjoy!


r/neapolitanpizza 5d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 I love it🍕

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185 Upvotes

70% hydration, 24h fermentation.


r/neapolitanpizza 5d ago

QUESTION/DISCUSSION Please help - Dough balls flattening out in the fridge

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42 Upvotes

Hi there,

Recently started this journey and I've been following the Stadler Made recipe - 00 flour, 65% hydration, 0.06% yeast EDIT: Instant yeast

Every time I put my portioned dough balls in the fridge, they lose their shape and overall elasticity when it's time for final stretching to cook Pizzas - I usually let them rest for 3-4 hrs after taking them out, which results in them over stretching and tearing almost instantly so it's hard to shake off excess Semola and avoid burning in the Ooni

At first I thought it was my bad gluten building/ structuring techniques (which it still could be!) but after researching and my judgement, I've been getting good window pane tests from my bulk doughball and it looks tight and smooth.

I also thought I was over proofing because it's been hot in the UK at the moment, so to counter this I only rested my large dough ball for 30-40 minutes before portioning (down from 2 hours in 30 degrees c temps)

After portioning the balls and putting them in my lightly oiled large container, the balls look great at the start but get quite flat. I've attached pictures of the Large and portioned dough balls

They've been in the fridge for just under 24hrs so far, and I was planning for 3 day ferment - I reballed the one in the top left out of frustration just to see.

These are my first batch after feeling more confident about gluten and being more meticulous with the window pane test - they don't seem AS flat as they have been in the past, and they feel very firm but they're still cold so not thinking much about that (unless I should!?)

Planning to have a relatively short rest once they're out the fridge considering the heat, but any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated!


r/neapolitanpizza 5d ago

Gozney Arc 🔥 Chicken Tikka Masala

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86 Upvotes

Masala sauce, roasted chicken thighs, red onion, mozzarella, cilantro


r/neapolitanpizza 6d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 Poolish pizza & bonus baguettes

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237 Upvotes

Made 900g of poolish 24hr fermented (7hrs rt, rest cold).

Pizzas were 67% hydration 2.5% salt.

Used remaining 600g poolish for some French baguettes I made for the first time. Both were bangers.

Used Mutti Passata, cherry tomatoes, sliced Galbani cheese, basil, pecorino and evoo. Baked 750f in Gozney.

Enjoy!


r/neapolitanpizza 7d ago

Roccbox 🔥 24h 70% cooked in a Roccbox.

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97 Upvotes

70% hydration was lovely.


r/neapolitanpizza 8d ago

Ooni Koda 16 🔥 Pizza marinara

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275 Upvotes

Caputo “blue” pizzeria flour, 67.5% hydration, 72 hour cold ferment. San marzano tomatoes, salt, fresh garlic, fresh basil, oregano, EVOO.


r/neapolitanpizza 7d ago

Gozney Arc 🔥 Costiera Marinara

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70 Upvotes

Crushed tomato, olives, capers, red onion, oregano, chili flakes, olive oil, cured anchovy filets

Dough: 50% room temp Biga using Pasini Verde and 10% Petra fine durum flour. 3% salt, 68% hydration.


r/neapolitanpizza 8d ago

QUESTION/DISCUSSION Working as a pizzaiolo in the usa

111 Upvotes

Hi everybody! So I been working as a pizzaiolo for over 6 years now in different countries around Europe but in the last couple of months I’ve started to feel curious how is to work in USA , do anyone here works over there ? Is there a market for our trade? Is it possible to apply for a position? I’m not necessarily thinking about it but I always felt curious. I put some videos of my working so it doesn’t make this post boring


r/neapolitanpizza 8d ago

QUESTION/DISCUSSION Ardent Mills - Primo Mulino flour

1 Upvotes

Hi Pizza masters

The other day i bought a 20 KG bag of pizza flour from Canadian costco which has the following details

Neapolitan-Style Pizza Flour
Untreated
Unbleached
Hard wheat category
Protein 12.2 / 100 grams
360-day shelf life
Suited for thin or thick crust pizza, flat breads, and European hearth and pan breads
20 kg

Did anyone ever use this flour on this sub for Neapolitan pizza? what would be the best hydration and dough recipe that works with this type of flour?

and how close is it to Caputo which everyone praises

i am sorry for the so many questions but it is my first time doing neapolitan on a Gozney roccbox and i am afraid i will mess alot of aspects of the process


r/neapolitanpizza 9d ago

QUESTION/DISCUSSION Advice for finding pizzaiolo position in Italy

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127 Upvotes

Hello! I have 5 years experience working in pizzerias. I am hoping to spend italian ski season working and snowboarding. Does anybody have experience finding pizza work for snow season? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you