Neapolitan Pizza Dough
A four-ingredient Neapolitan pizza dough that requires no kneading and relies on a 12–18 hour slow rise to develop flavor and create a lightly crisp, tender, and airy crust.
Total
24h 35mServings
6A four-ingredient Neapolitan pizza dough that requires no kneading and relies on a 12–18 hour slow rise to develop flavor and create a lightly crisp, tender, and airy crust.
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Mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Pour in the water and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough comes together and no dry flour remains.
Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl and leave it to rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. I usually do this overnight.
Shape the dough. Dust your hands and a work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the floured surface. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide the dough in half for larger or thick-crust pizzas, or into three pieces for smaller or thin-crust pizzas. Shape each piece into a ball.
Rest the dough. Set the dough balls seam-side down and let them rest uncovered on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, cover them with a damp tea towel and let them rest for up to 2 hours.
Get ready to bake. While the dough rests, place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F.
Stretch the dough. If you divided the dough in half, stretch each piece into a rough 12- to 14-inch circle. Use your palms to press outward from the center, then gently pull and stretch it from the edges. If the dough sticks, dust the surface with more flour. Leave the outer edge slightly thicker than the center to form the crust.
Transfer to parchment paper. Cut a piece of parchment paper into a round about the same size as the pizza. Set the parchment on a pizza peel, cutting board, or the back of a sheet pan. Carefully transfer the stretched dough onto the parchment
Add the toppings: Lightly brush the dough with extra virgin olive oil. Add your favorite sauce and toppings
Bake. Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F. Carefully slide the pizza and parchment onto the hot pizza stone. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and any cheese begins to bubble.
Repeat and serve. Remove the finished pizza and repeat with the remaining dough.
Store shaped dough balls covered with a damp tea towel at room temperature for up to 2 hours before baking. For longer storage, refrigerate after shaping and use within 1–2 days.
pizza stone · pizza peel or cutting board · bench scraper or sharp knife
Yes, bread flour works well as a substitute. 00 flour produces the softest texture, but bread flour will still yield a good result.
The dough rises for 12 to 18 hours at room temperature, typically overnight, before shaping and baking.
The recipe calls for overnight room-temperature rise, but after shaping into balls, you can refrigerate them covered for up to 2 hours before baking.
Preheat to 500°F with the pizza stone inside, then reduce to 450°F when you add the pizza. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
The dough divides into 2 pieces for larger or thick-crust pizzas, or 3 pieces for smaller or thin-crust pizzas.
