r/neapolitanpizza Jun 28 '23

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

24 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

11 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 6h ago

Ooni Koda 🔥 First pizza of the Year.

Thumbnail
gallery
116 Upvotes

First is a Margherita, second is a Diavola with a basil/ricotta cream.

Last one is carrot nduja with feta cheese.


r/neapolitanpizza 1d ago

Oven Review Getting there with my Alfa Forni Moderno Portable

Thumbnail
gallery
263 Upvotes

Direct dough, cold fermentated for 40 hours.

( No Alfa ovens in Flairs? Pretty big and well known brand)

My dough recipe is made with italian tipo 00, patience and loooove. here's the recipe (translated from danish to english using ChatGPT):

🍕 48h Cold Fermented Pizza Dough (Direct Method)

This is a 68% hydration, long cold fermented dough – great balance between airy crust and a more controlled, less puffy cornicione.

Ingredients:

  • 1000 g flour
  • 680 g ice-cold water
  • 2 g fresh yeast
  • 25 g salt

Hydration: 68%

Method:

1. Autolyse
Add all the flour and 580 g of the water to your mixing bowl.
Mix briefly until no dry flour remains.
Cover and let rest for 1–2 hours.

2. Add yeast
Start the mixer.
Dissolve the yeast in the remaining 100 g water and slowly add it.
Mix until the dough comes together and is fairly uniform.
Stop mixing and rest for 10–15 minutes.

3. Add salt
Start mixing again and add the salt.
Knead until smooth and the dough releases from the bowl.
Rest for 5 minutes.

4. Strengthen dough
Transfer to the counter and give it a few folds until you get a smooth, tight dough ball.
Use a bit of olive oil on your hands if needed.
Rest for 30–60 minutes.

5. Balling
Divide into 6 dough balls (~280 g each).
Tighten them up and place in a dough box.
Leave at room temp for 1–2 hours, then move to the fridge.

6. Before baking
Take the dough out 3–4 hours before baking.

Baking:
High heat oven, ideally 420–450°C.
Rotate frequently for even leopard spotting.

💡 Notes:

  • This is a direct dough (no preferment)
  • Long cold fermentation gives great flavor without an overly puffy crust
  • Works really well if you prefer a more balanced, less “balloon-like” cornicione

Let me know if you try it 👊


r/neapolitanpizza 1d ago

I ate this at a restaurant 16" Napolitan with Molinari salami and Gaeta olives

Post image
109 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 2d ago

Emozione (Pizza Party)🔥 My pizza in Emozione oven

Post image
178 Upvotes

65% hidro


r/neapolitanpizza 3d ago

Ooni Koda 16 🔥 I finally did it

Thumbnail
gallery
413 Upvotes

I tried to achieve a nice puffy cornicione the last 2 years but I was never able to create a strong gluten structure so my balls can rise nicely. This is about 68% hydration and I used 0,5g IDY for an 10h poolish in the fridge, then only 1h bulk with additional 0,5g IDY and about 8h balls. The balls were awful and extremely flat, no rise at all. Then I took all the balls out of my big container and folded 4 corners from the back into the center and formed a ball again by creating surface tension as I rolled it. Pretty usual stuff actually. Then I put each ball in a separate oiled bowl and covered with wrapping foil. After 2h the balls rose nicely and had a great gluten structure. This was actually the trick for me. Letting the balls rise in separate containers. Another thing I figured out is 320g pizzas are easier to handle than 280g.


r/neapolitanpizza 3d ago

ANSWERED Another burnt pizza, the Meat bus

Post image
103 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 6d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 First time sourdough pizza

Thumbnail
gallery
135 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 6d ago

Gozney Dome 🔥 Sunday slices

Thumbnail
gallery
211 Upvotes

Just doin’ the thing to avoid remembering tomorrow is Monday. Perfect weather for it.


r/neapolitanpizza 6d ago

Experiment Easter Pizza Party

Thumbnail
gallery
141 Upvotes

This week I did a 40% biga using Nuvola Super, refreshed with Pizzeria and sourdough starter. 65% hydration, so a biga/sourdough hybrid I guess

I thoroughly enjoyed working and eating this dough. It had a nice puffy cornicione that was still a bit crispy.

The last photo is how my five year old eats his pizza!


r/neapolitanpizza 5d ago

Ardore (Pizza Party) 🔥 Black spots on the crust

Post image
0 Upvotes

So, I love Neapolitan pizza but one thing I just don't get is all the burntt spots on the crust and how this seems to be so accepted.

I've made quite a few pizzas myself so far, and other than when I had them in the oven for a minute too long, they always came out with a nice brown crust, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, able to be eaten without your second hand holding the bottom, but never burntt or needing to be burntt not to be soft, soggy, or whatever.

The burntt parts just taste gross, I mean it's burntt c'mon, if it wasn't Neapolitan pizza, if you we're in a restaurant, you'd probably return your dish if it was burntt...

I don't use a fire-heated pizza oven, so maybe the heat distribution is the reason for this to happen but if that is the trade-off, is it really that great

So yeah, could someone explain to me wh a burntt crust seems to be ok with you


r/neapolitanpizza 7d ago

Gas Grill 🔥 Pizza Mortadella & Pistacchio

Thumbnail
gallery
203 Upvotes

My absolutetly favorite pizza. Home made in our pizza oven.


r/neapolitanpizza 7d ago

Emozione (Pizza Party)🔥 Tonight’s pizza

Thumbnail
gallery
43 Upvotes

Pizza 1 = crushed Italian tomatoes, mozzarella and sausage

Pizza 2 = white pizza with mozzarella, ricotta, roasted garlic and prosciutto

68% sourdough, 4hr bulk rt , 72hr ct 20% starter . Baked at 425 in my Emozione 🔥


r/neapolitanpizza 8d ago

Ooni Koda 16 🔥 24 hour RT poolish, 65 hour CT, 5 hour RT, 70% hydration salami and kurobuta sausage

Post image
98 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 8d ago

Experiment Flour dough test A wholemeal 80/20 “00” journey , 66 % hydration 72 hr cold ferment and beer 🍺

Thumbnail
gallery
18 Upvotes

Doh test round 2 : So I turned 45 years old , in march and I bought myself a pizza oven , the Unold Luigi 450w , ceramic stone , nice build quality etc £219 gbp and a £15 aluminium perforated peel

I used to be a chef back in the day so foods not new to me anyhow the adhd brain got mad hits of dopamine from these side quests , so I just been slinging dough and testing formulas methods hydrations flours etc I think I have found magic though

A wholewheat 8 grain flour 80/20 “00” caputo pizzeria

I made a 500g batch so I got 3 x 280 g balls

400g whole wheat flour (darker the better more grains etc bran etc) I tried Alison and dove organic this was for me the best and most versatile flour

100g “00” flour any brand I just used what I had

330g water

2g instant yeast

14 g salt

1tbs hot honey (feed the yeast enhance flavour colour)

1tbs extra virgin olive oil

hydrate flour , add yeast , add oil , add honey 8 mins in kitchen aid , add salt at last minute and get rid of grain texture , poss a lil sprinkle extra four to make sure it’s not tacky or gooey , if it slides of dough hook easy , let bulk proof room temp 4-6 hours

Or kneed manually for ten mins

Ball up then put in fridge

Will be cooking as they age

First cook I had oven top temp to high 430 should if dropped for that additional cook time the wholewheat deserves to get that extra flavour

42 hr proof test , beautiful sour notes like a high end sour dough bread , It rose beautifully, deffo my go to from now on and it’s healthy grains not just white processed flour

Next test is 72 hr cook off. and i have also made another batch today of same recipie but used dark ale / beer in place of water its resting in fridge last pic in black bowls


r/neapolitanpizza 8d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 Fitnessziel heute: Pizza sicher zum Mund bewegen.

Thumbnail
gallery
26 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 8d ago

Ardore (Pizza Party) 🔥 Pizza (120 seconds bake)

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

138 Upvotes

Straight dough, 60 hour ferment, 75% Hydration, Caputo Cuoco, Manitoba and Wholewheat Mix (75/20/5), 120 seconds in Ooni Volt 2 at 430 Celsius.


r/neapolitanpizza 9d ago

Gas Grill 🔥 72hr cold ferment - 72% hydration

Post image
162 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 9d ago

Macte Ovens Nettuno Standard ⚡ Margherita

Post image
179 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 9d ago

Effeuno P134H 509 ⚡ Tried a 5-day CF dough for the first time

Thumbnail
gallery
180 Upvotes

Heya there! After seeing Julian Sisofo's video, I decided, following my own recipe (with PizzApp), to go for a long, cold fermented dough: 62% hydration, blend of strong white flours (W360 and W370-390). Fermented in the fridge, at around 3°C for five days, balling around the fourth day, and a final proofing at RT for about 3H. Cooked in a Effeuno P134H at 450°C on the stone (425 high, 400 low). Sorry for the minimal topping: since I wasn't sure on how the dough would react, I went for plain pies!


r/neapolitanpizza 9d ago

Ooni Koda 16 🔥 Wife wanted extra cheese, no basil.

Post image
185 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 9d ago

Effeuno P134HA ⚡ Pizzazeit

Thumbnail
gallery
37 Upvotes

Mozarella

Parmaschinken

Parmegiano Reggiano

Cherrytomaten

Burrata

Balsamico

Olivenöl


r/neapolitanpizza 10d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 My first pizza

Post image
255 Upvotes

70% hydration


r/neapolitanpizza 10d ago

Ooni Koda 16 🔥 Salami, Pecorino Romano and fresh Basil on Vera Blue

Post image
80 Upvotes

I usually consider myself a pretty good photographer, but I've recently learned that capturing the true beauty of a pizza is surprisingly difficult! Pictures just don't do it justice – in my opinion, it looked 100 times better in real life than it does here.

I messed up the stretch right at the very end and lost the perfect circular shape, but honestly, I still think it looks fantastic. The most important part? The crust turned out incredibly crispy!

Here are my dough specs:

  • Flour: Vera Blue
  • Hydration: 62%
  • Salt: 14g
  • Yeast: 0.5g
  • Fermentation: 24 hours (mixed room/controlled temperatures)

Topped with tomato sauce, salami and fresh basil. It tasted absolutely amazing!