Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe

4.94 from 30 votes

Make authentic pizza at home with this easy Neapolitan pizza dough recipe—chewy, airy crust with just 5 ingredients and no kneading required!

Prep Time5

Rise Time12

Total Time12 5

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: 00 pizza dough, pizza crust, neapolitan pizza dough, yeast recipes, neapolitan pizza dough recipe

Servings: people

Calories: 153kcal

In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients with a dough whisk or spoon until they come together as a shaggy dough ball.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature (not in the refrigerator) for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
Transfer the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into two.
Shape each half into a ball and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let dough rise for 45-60 minutes.
Place dough on parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with flour then use your finger tips to flatten dough into a circle, leaving a 1" margin as the crust. Stretch dough until it is a 10" - 12" circle, depending on your preferred thickness.

Preheat oven to 500ºF (see notes below to bake at 450ºF) with pizza stone, if using.
Cover the crust with sauce and your preferred toppings. Transfer it (on parchment paper) to a stone or large baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the top is bubbling.

Don't use cornmeal when making pizzas. It burns easily and can stain your stone or pizza oven. Instead, semolina flour prevents stickiness and doesn't burn at high heat.
Tip: Use semolina flour on your work surface and hands instead of flour.
Start with a generously floured work surface to prevent sticking. We recommend using semolina flour because it’s grainier than all-purpose and won't burn at high heat.
To bake at 450ºF: bake for 12-17 minutes, until edges are golden and top is bubbling.

Recipe Variations:

Bread flour swap: For a slightly chewier crust with more bite, swap out the 00 flour for bread flour. It has a higher protein content, which gives the dough more structure and a rustic finish.
Fresh yeast option: Instead of dry yeast, try using fresh yeast for a more traditional approach. Use about 0.3 ounces (or 8 grams) and dissolve it in the warm water before mixing with the other ingredients.
Gluten-free adaptation: You can make a gluten-free version by using a high-quality gluten-free flour blend in place of 00 or pizza flour. Just be sure to check if it already includes a binder, like xanthan gum, to mimic the strength of gluten.
Kosher salt upgrade: Upgrade the flavor of your dough by replacing regular table salt with kosher salt. Its coarse texture blends beautifully into the dough, enhancing the crust’s flavor without overpowering it.

Storing Instructions:

We recommend freezing the dough after the first rise but before the second rise once it’s been shaped into two balls. It can be refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for up to a month.
Remember that cold doughs take longer to rise than warmer doughs do. So, remove it from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for at least an hour. Then, follow the recipe directions for stretching or rolling.