Neapolitan pizza has influenced every other style of pizza in the world, yet it shares very little with those styles in terms of appearance, texture, and flavor. It’s characterized by a crust with a large cornicione, or rim, marked by small charred spots called leoparding. The crust is soft and the rim has an open crumb.
Baked at 840–900°F, Neapolitan pizza is ready in just 60–90 seconds. Traditional dough contains only four ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. The hydration level is crucial to achieve the right texture and bake.
00 flour is commonly used for a tender crust, but other types like Tipo 0, 1, and 2 are also popular. Fermentation, whether at room temperature or cold-proofed, enhances flavor and texture. In Naples, dough ferments for 2 to 24 hours; some pizzaioli opt for bulk fermentation.
Our approach in Modernist Pizza involved using instant dry yeast for reliability. We fully develop gluten during mixing, bulk ferment at room temperature for 20–24 hours, then proof for another 3 hours. This method yields a dough with a balanced hydration level (62.3%) and an airy crumb.
Our oven bake times vary according to what you have on hand—take a look at our chart in the recipe below to get a better sense of what is required.
Check out Modernist Pizza for additional variations, such as our classic AVPN-style dough or our doughs that incorporate poolish and cold-proofing for enhanced hydration and texture.
