Best Italian Food Neapolitan Pizza Recipe
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.
Servings: 10 slices
Equipment
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Make the homemade pizza dough and/or homemade pizza sauce. (You can use store-bought ones, 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 is 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.
Notes
- 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.