Basic Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Get a thin layer of crispness to the crust, with an interior that is moist, poofy, and cloud-like.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated September 19, 2025
Homemade Neapolitan Pizza with pepperoni and basil on a pizza peel

Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt

Why It Works

  • Using high-gluten flour, like Italian-style "OO," contributes to superior dough elasticity and chewiness, resulting in a more satisfying bite.
  • Extended cold fermentation in the refrigerator allows for continued flavor development and structural strength, perfecting the dough's taste and stretchability.
  • Proper room temperature resting before making the pizza ensures the dough is pliable and easy to shape, as well as ready to achieve a dramatic rise and beautiful charring while baking.
  • Baking the dough at ultra-high temperatures ensures good puffing and charring before it can dry out and become tough.

A great Neapolitan pizza has the best sauce, the finest mozzarella, and maybe a few whole basil leaves. But before you can get into the toppings, you'll need to make the perfect crust. Neapolitan pizza is made from a lean dough—that is, it's got nothing but flour, water, salt, and yeast. No oil, no sugar, nothing. With so few ingredients, the key to great Neapolitan pizza crust is a good long fermentation period during which time starches will break down into simpler sugars, yeast will create flavorful by-products, and gluten formation will occur, allowing you to stretch the dough out easily and making for a dramatic rise and good charring in the oven.

July 2012

Recipe Details

Basic Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Prep 10 mins
Active 15 mins
Rising Time 58 hrs
Total 58 hrs 10 mins
Serves 4 pizza crusts
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Ingredients

  • 20 ounces (about 4 cups) bread flour, preferably Italian-style "OO"

  • .4 ounces kosher salt (about 4 teaspoons)

  • .3 ounces (about 2 teaspoons) instant yeast, such as SAF Instant Yeast

  • 13 ounces water

Directions

  1. Combine flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and whisk until homogenous. Add water and incorporate into flour using hands until no dry flour remains on bottom of bowl. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

  2. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and divide into four even balls. Place each in a covered quart-sized deli container or in a zipper-lock freezer bag. Place in refrigerator and allow to rise at least 2 more days, and up to 4. Remove from refrigerator, shape into balls, and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before baking.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
501 Calories
2g Fat
100g Carbs
17g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 501
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1265mg 55%
Total Carbohydrate 100g 36%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 25mg 2%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 156mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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