A homemade pizza prepared thoughtfully can turn a simple week night dinner into a phenomenal dining experience. For the foodie and culinary enthusiast who loves experimenting with authentic international recipes, crafting a Neapolitan pizza in all its originality can bring an earnest Italian charm from Naples to the dining room.
Influenced heavily by centuries of French and Spanish aristocratic rule, Neapolitan cuisine or a style of Italian cooking which originates in Naples is characterised by fresh, local ingredients, sophisticated flavours and simple cooking styles. It is a coming together of simple and elegant dishes influenced by royal traditions. A clear favourite that has emerged from this cuisine to carve a spot for itself on the global map is the Neapolitan-style pizza.
Made using fresh and aromatic ingredients like authentic San Marzano tomatoes and fragrant basil, the Neapolitan pizza is known for its rich flavour despite the limited toppings that go into its making. The pizza is often referred to as the ‘monarch’ of Neapolitan cities and culinary cultures, with the basic Margherita made with tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil reigning as the supreme favourite.
Preparing this pizza from scratch is a sheer delight for the foodie who loves to experiment with authentic global flavours. Making a
Read More1 Make the classic Neapolitan pizza in a good oven that will thoroughly cook the dough and its delicious toppings into a light, airy, bubbly pizza.
2 Use a cast-iron tawa to bake the Neapolitan pizza in the oven. This will mimic the brick oven that is traditionally used in Naples to make this authentic pizza.
3 It is also possible to cook the pizza on the stove. Use a non-stick fry pan with a lid for this purpose.
4 While making the pizza on the cooktop, finish it off under the oven or a griller to brown the base slightly.
5 A sturdy, simple mixer grinder can be a handy tool to make fresh tomato purée essential for crafting the basic sauce for the pizza. Add garlic cloves, salt and pepper to the tomato purée to make a fresh pizza sauce for the Neapolitan-style pizza.
Start by preparing the pizza base. Dissolve yeast in water and mix this with the all-purpose flour into a sticky dough.
Add salt and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Cover and let it rise for 2 hours.
Divide the dough into two balls and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours for slow fermentation.
Now, shape the pizza base. To do this, take the dough out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.
Dust a dough ball with flour and press gently to spread it outwards from the centre. Avoid using a rolling pin and use the finger tips of your palms to stretch the dough into a 10 inch circle.
Add the toppings next. Spread a thin layer of crushed tomato or tomato purée, followed by fresh mozzarella. Drizzle olive oil over the pizza.
To make the pizza in the oven, preheat it to 250°C with an inverted cast-iron tawa inside for about 20 minutes.
Slide the pizza onto the hot surface and bake for at least 8-10 minutes until the cheese melts and charred spots appear on the base.
Bring the pizza out and garnish it with basil leaves and an olive oil drizzle. Piece into equal slices and serve warm.
Slow fermentation makes the pizza dough light and gives the crust its signature airy texture and flavour.
Stretching the dough with fingertips alone ensures that the air bubbles remain intact in the crust. A rolling pin can flatten them out, turning the pizza base into a flat, stretchy mess.
Absolutely. Fresh ingredients and a simple cooking style characterise Neapolitan cooking. The Neapolitan pizza is rooted in this tradition, with the focus being on a chewy and airy crust.
Yes. While Neapolitan pizza is traditionally a vegetarian-friendly recipe, it can be topped with fennel sausage, salami or prosciutto to make a non-vegetarian version.
One of the ways to make an authentic Neapolitan-style pizza is to cook it for a short time over high heat. This will make the crust simultaneously bubbly, airy and crisp.
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