Neapolitan Pizza Recipe
Also known as Pizza Napoletana, Neapolitan Pizza is one of the most famous varieties of pizza, baked daily in restaurants all over the world. With high-quality ingredients, you can create a Naples-worthy pizza in your oven at home. It’s a fun project for beginners who love experimenting in the kitchen.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Neapolitan Pizza
Servings: 10 slices
Author: Izzy
- 1 ball homemade pizza dough
- ⅓ cup pizza sauce homemade or store-bought
- ½ ball fresh mozzarella cheese about 4 ounces
- 4 basil leaves roughly torn
- Cornmeal or semolina flour
Make the homemade pizza dough and/or homemade pizza sauce. (You can use store-bought although the flavor is better when you make your own.)
Place the oven rack in the upper middle position and place a pizza stone (if available) in the middle. Preheat the oven to 500°F or as hot as it will go.
On a work surface, cut the mozzarella ball into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove excess moisture if necessary using paper towels.
Flour a work surface and add the pizza dough. Using your fingertips, stretch it out into a circle about 14 inches round.
Sprinkle a large pizza pan (or pizza peel if you have one) with the cornmeal/semolina. Then slide the dough on top.
Spoon the pizza sauce onto the dough and use a brush to distribute evenly, leaving an inch around the edges uncoated for the crust. Then arrange the slices of mozzarella on top spaced apart slightly.
Add the basil leaves if using a pizza oven. For a standard oven, add them after baking to avoid charring.
Place the pizza in the prepared oven. Bake until the cheese if fully melted, about 7 to 8 minutes in a conventional oven or 2 minutes in a pizza oven.
Add the basil afterward if needed. Cut into pieces and serve warm.
- Avoid a Soggy Crust: This can happen when fresh mozzarella is watery. Remove excess moisture from the cheese with paper towels. Also make sure not to use too much sauce.