Calling all pizza lovers! Today, I am sharing our go-to, best homemade Neapolitan Pizza Crust recipe today from the folks at Forno Bravo.
Neapolitan style pizza, or pizza Napoletana, is a variety of pizza originating in Naples, Italy.
It is made with simple and fresh ingredients: simple dough, raw tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and olive oil.
Why I Love this Recipe
Neapolitan pizza has a unique and irresistible charm. With its airy, puffy edge, the thin crust offers a perfect balance of chewy and light with every bite.
Once you taste an authentic Neapolitan pizza, your pizza expectations will be forever changed — it’s truly incredible.
This recipe uses a special flour called double zero (00) flour, which is finely ground and traditionally used in both pasta and pizza. With its lower gluten content, 00 flour creates the dough’s signature texture — crisp yet chewy, with just the right amount of bite.
Neapolitan pizzas are all about simplicity, letting the quality of the ingredients shine. Classic toppings like tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fragrant basil combine to create something magical.
Popular variations include the Marinara, with garlic and oregano, the Margherita, with basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella, and the Extra Margherita, featuring creamy buffalo mozzarella. Each one proves there is beauty in simplicity and fresh flavors!
While you are at it, you must try my favorite topping combination, Rosemary & Proscuitto Pizza, and see this post for more flavorful Italian recipes.
Ingredients
Below are the simple ingredients you need to make to achieve the best results with Neopolitan Pizza.
Molino Caputo Tipo 00 flour
00 pizza flour is perfect for making authentic pizza dough. Finely ground with a lower gluten content than most flours creates a soft, elastic texture ideal for stretching. I purchase my Caputo flour (affiliate link) from a local Italian deli or Amazon.
You can substitute all-purpose or bread flour, but the texture will differ. All-purpose flour is coarser and less elastic, while bread flour’s higher gluten makes the crust chewier. Both work in a pinch, but neither replicates the light, airy texture and crisp-yet-tender bite of true Neapolitan pizza.
Warm Water
You can use your tap water! Use water temperatures of 120°F-130°F using a thermometer. (Read more under the “Yeast” heading below)
Sea Salt
Use fine sea salt for your dough, which dissolves best in water. Salt enhances flavor, controls yeast activity, and strengthens gluten, improving the dough’s texture and elasticity. To prevent interfering with yeast activation, mix salt with the flour before adding water or yeast.
Active Dry Yeast
Yeast is the key leavening agent in pizza dough, creating the airy, bubbly crust characteristic of Neapolitan pizza. I use Red Star Active Dry Yeast, which can be mixed directly with the dry ingredients.
For best results, use water between 120°F-130°F, measured with a thermometer. If storing yeast in the fridge or freezer, let it reach room temperature before use.
Making Homemade Pizza
You can make Neapolitan-style pizza in your household oven, outdoor grill, or high temperature pizza oven. All will give you slightly different results, but all will be tasty!
Another alternative method is to make an air fryer flatbread pizza. I encourage you to work with what you have, experiment, and have fun.
It is worth noting that I am a home cook with ten years of experience in pizza making, but I am not an expert by any means. 😁
Outdoor Ovens
We built an outdoor pizza oven in our backyard approximately ten years ago, inspired by our good friends.
Ruth and Bill built their oven first and did a lot of recipe and oven research.
They were very generous in sharing their discoveries! That gave us an enormous pizza-making headstart.
Turns out pizza ovens are contagious! After tasting our pizzas, three other friends also built their own outdoor ovens. 😂
We purchased our pizza oven insert from Mugnaini Wood Fired Ovens.
Check out the Mugnaini website for more information about their products and authentic recipes.
These days, outdoor pizza ovens are available in all shapes, sizes, and price ranges.
It is easier than ever to become a pizzaiolo at home!
Indoor Ovens
If using a household oven, the most important accessory is a pizza stone. Its properties mimic those of a brick oven so that you will have better results.
Instructions
This Neapolitan Pizza Dough recipe is adapted from the Vera Napoletana Pizza Dough Authentic Recipe on the Forno Bravo website.
Below, I’ve included my step-by-step process to guide you through making your own pizza dough, with plenty of tips for first-timers.
The result? A chewy crust and rich, distinct flavor. Experiment and adjust to fit your taste — there are endless ways to perfect your pizza. Andiamo!
1 Make Dough
Follow the recipe to mix the dough in a large bowl, then cover it with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm spot.
I typically make the dough the same day, but you can also prepare it ahead of time and freeze it with great results. Forno Bravo recommends making the dough balls a day ahead, as overnight refrigeration helps develop flavor and improves browning.
2 Divide into Pizza Balls
Shape the dough into individual balls by folding the top over and around the bottom, then pinching the ends to seal. Place the dough balls seam side down in a proofing tray or on a floured countertop.
Dust lightly with flour and cover with a damp towel to prevent drying out. The dough should be soft and silky on top.
3 Shape Dough and Add Toppings
Once the dough has reached room temperature, place each ball on a floured surface and stretch or roll it into rounds or squares.
4 Bake and Enjoy
If using a pizza peel, sprinkle it with flour before transferring the dough. Add your sauce and toppings, then bake. For a classic Neapolitan pizza, use San Marzano tomatoes and fresh ingredients. Enjoy your perfect pizza pie!
Equipment
The supplies below are useful but not all necessary. You can and will likely increase your investments as you improve your pizza-making game!
Pizza Oven, Indoor Oven, or Grill
I’ve used them all, and I loved all of the pizzas. 😃 My fav is the brick pizza oven, though!
Stand Mixer or Bread Machine
You can mix the dough in a stand mixer, in a bread machine, or by hand. I use a KitchenAid stand mixer with a dough hook.
Kitchen Scale
Forno Bravo highly recommends cooking by weight. Getting the exact hydration (water to flour ratio) is fast and easy. Being exact counts when making dough; nothing works better than a digital scale.
Infrared Temperature Gun
Thermometer
Get one that measures temperatures between 75°F and 130°F.
Proofing Tray
It is nice to have a covered proofing tray, a 9 x 13 pan, or something similar to hold the pizza dough balls, especially if you are transporting them from your kitchen to the grill or an outdoor oven.
A Pizza Peel
Peels are not mandatory for an indoor oven or a grill, but they are helpful. They make transferring the pizza from your work surface to the heating source much easier.
For an outdoor oven, peels are essential. You will appreciate how the handle will protect you from the high heat.
Pizza Stone for Indoor Ovens
A baking stone will provide a hotter surface than a baking sheet, which will, in turn, deliver a better crust in less time.
Pizza stones absorb and retain heat longer. Similar to the characteristics of a brick oven.
Outdoor Pizza Kit for Outside Ovens
Many pizza ovens or oven inserts come with a kit that includes other supplies to use with your pizza oven.
Delicious Dinner Recipes
Discover other mouthwatering recipes in the links below.
Cajun Creole
Enchiladas
Easy Pork Dumplings
Braised Pork
Pork Stir Fry
Chicken and Potato Stew
Chinese Lo Mein Noodles
Instant Pot Soup
Desserts to Pair with Pizza
Below are sweet recipes to serve with pizza.
Fast and Easy Blueberry Crumble
Easy Chocolate Cake
Failproof Chocolate Chip Cookie
Easy Chocolate Pudding Brownies
Fun Red White and Blue Desserts
Pound Cake Recipe
Dough Recipe
Finally! Here is the delicious Neapolitan homemade pizza dough recipe for the best pizza base you’ll ever make!
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Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe
- Total Time: 2.5 hours
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Description
This recipe is adapted from the Vera Napoletana Pizza Dough Authentic Recipe from the Forno Bravo website. Go to fornobravo.com for wonderful products, authentic recipes, and information.
Below is my pizza dough-making process with my own personal tweaks. I added more detail to help you if you are making Neapolitan Pizza Dough for the first time.
Experiment and adjust to fit your own style and tastes. Andiamo!
Ingredients
By Volume
4 cups Molino Caputo Tipo 00 flour
1 1/2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (for indoor oven)
By Weight
500 g Molino Caputo Tipo 00 flour
325 g water (65% hydration)
10 g salt
3 g active dry yeast
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (for indoor oven)
Instructions
In the large mixing bowl, combine flour, water, salt, and yeast. Mix on low for two minutes. It will begin to form a ball. With clean hands or a spatula, knead in the unmixed flour parts. Let rest for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the water.
Mix on medium speed (3-4 on a KitchenAid) for 5 minutes, and then on low again for 2 more minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball, and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Or just lift it out of the mixing bowl, oil the sides, and put the dough back in. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let it rise for one and a half to two hours, or until doubled in size.
At this point, you can punch it down and push out the air bubbles or wait a bit. I let the dough sit covered until about an hour before I am ready to make pizzas. Either way works.
Next, with clean hands, form the dough into a large ball. Divide it into four or five equal pieces, depending on how large you like your pizzas.
Shape your dough into individual pizza balls by stretching or folding the top of the ball down and around the bottom until the outer layer wraps around the other side.
Pinch the ends together to make a smooth ball with tight outer skin.
Set the balls seam side down in a container, proofing tray, or on your floured countertop. Dust the tops of the pizza balls lightly with flour, and cover with a clean, dampened kitchen towel, so that the dough does not dry out before you use it. The top of the pizza ball should be soft and silky.
If the dough dries out, the outside of the ball will become crusty and hard in spots. You will have tiny crust-like bumps in your crust that are impossible to remove unless you handpick them out. It will still be edible, but it is annoying.
The dough balls will need to rest for at least one hour to become soft and elastic so that they can be easily stretched into a thin crust pizza.
To make pizza, make sure the dough is at room temperature and place each dough ball on a floured surface.
Stretch the dough with your hands and shape it into rounds or squares. Place it on your work surface and flatten it out using your hands or a rolling pin.
If you are using a pizza peel, lightly sprinkle it with flour and place the dough on the peel.
Put on your sauce and/or toppings and bake at 475-500 degrees in a household oven or 800 degrees in an outside pizza oven. Enjoy!
Notes
Make Ahead. If you don’t need the dough for a few hours, the Forno Bravo Recipe suggests you refrigerate the dough balls and bring them back out of the refrigerator an hour or so before you want to use them. This may be safer than what I do! I actually leave them covered until we are ready to bake the same day or evening. We have never gotten sick, but please ere on the safe side and refrigerate if you are concerned.
Forno Bravo also suggests you try to make your pizza balls the day before you need them. Overnight refrigeration helps the dough develop more flavor, and if fully developed, it browns better. I have never done this. Let me know if you try it!
The length of bake times will depend on your toppings and the doneness you like your crust. Watch closely and remove when done to your liking.
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Quick Start Guide
Below are the abbreviated overall steps for indoor or outdoor pizza making.
Inside Ovens
1 Make Dough and prepare toppings
2 Use a pizza stone or baking sheet to cook
3 Put your pizza stone in the oven for 30 minutes before baking
4 Preheat your oven to 500 degrees
5 Roll pizzas out and top
6 Slide the pizza onto the stone and into your home oven with a pizza peel
7 Watch closely for your preferred doneness
Outdoor Ovens
1 Make Dough and prepare toppings
2 Preheat the pizza oven to 800 degrees
3 Roll pizzas out and top
4 Use a pizza peel to transfer the pizza from the rolling counter to the wood-fired oven
5 Turn pizzas for even heating
6 Watch closely for your preferred doneness
This is my favorite pizza dough. I know you’ll love it too!
Please comment below with any questions or let me know how your pizza turns out. It is the best Neapolitan pizza crust ever! I’d love to hear what you think. Be sure to subscribe or follow me on social media for more inspiration.
Buon appetito!
Cindy
Our friends and family love this pizza recipe!! They always look forward to a return invite. 🙂
Well explained recipe! Seems delicious. I will definitely try to work on this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing such an informative post.
Thanks so much! I think you will love it. 😍🍕
This looks amazing! 👌
It really is delicious. Thanks so much! 😃