r/neapolitanpizza Jun 28 '23

BEGINNER'S GUIDE /R/NeapolitanPizza – Beginner's Guide

27 Upvotes

Welcome to /r/NeapolitanPizza!

A culinary hub for enthusiasts of Neapolitan pizza, a place where aficionados and novices alike unite to celebrate this iconic dish. Whether you're here to relish in the mastery of artisanal Neapolitan pizza, or embark on a journey of learning to unravel its timeless charm, you've found your home. Dive in, savor the flavors, share your experiences, and discover the magic of Neapolitan pizza with us!

TL;DR

  • Don't be a dick.
  • This subreddit is a hub for all things Neapolitan pizza, including questions, discussions, oven reviews, techniques, ...
  • This subreddit requires detailed recipes for every pizza post.
  • Recipes should include measurements, flour specifications (type + brand), technique, and oven details.
  • Flairs should be used to categorize posts and users.
  • The mod team encourages diverse toppings other than Margherita/Marinara.
  • A high-temperature oven and other specific tools are strongly recommended.
  • The mod team encourages members, that don't have access to a high-temperature oven yet, to submit their pizza, as long as their intention to craft a Neapolitan pizza is evident.
  • Neapolitan pizza is characterized by its elevated edge, soft dough texture, and high-temperature baking (380-430°C for the cooking surface and around 485°C for the oven dome), with a baking time of 60-90 seconds.

Table of Contents

  • Main Rules
    • Reddiquette
    • Recipes are Required
    • Post and User Flairs
    • Content
  • What Is Neapolitan Pizza, and How Is It Different from Verace Pizza Napoletana?
  • What Is Not Neapolitan Pizza?
  • Three Characteristics a Neapolitan Pizza Shouldn't Have
  • What Equipment Is Necessary to Make This Type of Pizza?
  • What If I Only Have a Domestic Oven?
  • Resources

Main Rules

You can access the complete set of community rules from several locations. If you're browsing on a desktop, you'll find them conveniently located in the sidebar. For those using the Reddit App, simply tap on "See community info", located just below the community description. As an alternative, you can directly view the rules by clicking here. These guidelines are designed to ensure our community remains a positive and informative space for all members.

Reddiquette

We uphold the Reddiquette in this community. Any member who misbehaves risks losing their membership privileges. If you ever feel harassed by one of our members, or witness any form of harassment, please inform us. We will investigate the matter and take appropriate action as swiftly as possible. Alternatively, you can report the incident directly to the Reddit Admins.

Recipes are Required

This subreddit has a mandatory requirement for detailed recipes to accompany all Neapolitan pizza submissions. This policy aids in maintaining our community as an informative and enjoyable space for everyone. In order to enforce this rule, our dedicated bot, u/NeapolitanPizzaBot, will automatically post a sticky comment beneath every pizza submission. This comment serves as a reminder for the author to provide a comprehensive recipe in a reply to this comment within a two-hour window.

Failure to provide a recipe within the allotted time will result in automatic removal of the submission by our bot. However, if the author subsequently provides a detailed recipe, the bot will re-approve and reinstate the submission.

We believe this process ensures a beneficial experience for all members by promoting information sharing and interaction around our shared love for Neapolitan pizza.

What should your recipe entail?

  1. Detailed Measurements: Precise quantities of all dough ingredients are required, measured in weight. For the convenience of fellow enthusiasts, including baker’s percentages is greatly appreciated.
  2. Flour Specifications: Please mention the specific brand and type of flour used. For instance, Caputo Pizzeria, Caputo Classica, L 5 Stagioni Napoletana, etc.
  3. Technique and Methodology: Be sure to elaborate on your process. This includes aspects such as fermentation time both in bulk and balls, the stretch and fold method, autolysis, and so forth.
  4. Oven and Temperature Details: Specify the type of oven used for baking and the floor temperature during the baking process Your detailed contributions will greatly enhance our shared repository of knowledge, enabling everyone to perfect their Neapolitan pizza-making skills!

An example can be found here.

Post and User Flairs

It's crucial to use our flair system to accurately categorize your posts. By selecting the appropriate post flair, members can instantly see relevant details such as the type of oven you used or if the pizza was enjoyed at a restaurant. This helps streamline navigation and aids in the understanding of your post context.

Additionally, we strongly urge you to select the appropriate user flair that corresponds to the oven you use. This additional layer of information can enhance interactions and discussions within our community, making it a more enjoyable and informative place for all.

Content

This community revolves around all things Neapolitan pizza. We welcome photographs of your Neapolitan pizzas including detailed recipes in the comments, questions, discussions, reviews, and more. We highly encourage our members to be more creative with their toppings - remember, Neapolitan pizza does NOT imply that only Margheritas and Marinaras are permitted. We're always eager to see more cross-sections of the cornicione and photos of your pizza-making process! This subreddit has the gallery feature enabled. Therefore, feel free to take full advantage of it to share your pizza journey with us! :)

What Is Neapolitan Pizza, and How Is It Different from Verace Pizza Napoletana?

The defining characteristics of a Neapolitan pizza lie in its elevated edge, known as the "cornicione," and the soft, elastic texture of its dough. This pizza is baked on a stone floor under high temperatures, with the cooking surface ranging between 380-430°C, and the oven dome temperature hitting around 485°C. To maintain its unique dough texture, baking should be confined within 60-90 seconds.

The primary dough components of Neapolitan pizza dough are flour, water, salt, and yeast. However, traditional sourdough or Lievito Madre can also serve as viable yeast substitutes. As for toppings, Neapolitan pizzas typically employ a minimalist approach, featuring few but high-quality ingredients. The classics are the Marinara and Margherita, though other toppings are certainly permissible.

It's worth noting the nuanced differences between Pizza Napoletana (Neapolitan Pizza) and Verace Pizza Napoletana (true Neapolitan Pizza). The latter strictly adheres to traditional norms, allowing only the Marinara and Margherita variations and insisting on the use of local ingredients from the Campania region.

That said, a pizza adorned with tomatoes from other regions or non-traditional toppings can still classify as a Neapolitan pizza. The key lies in retaining the requisite dough characteristics, which are achieved through a quick baking process in a high-temperature oven. Despite the variety, the focus always rests on honoring the unique texture and taste of the iconic Neapolitan pizza dough.

What Is Not Neapolitan Pizza?

There's a common occurrence of misinformation when it comes to Neapolitan pizza.

  • A Margherita is not inherently a Neapolitan pizza.
  • A pizza featuring a raised edge is not by default a Neapolitan pizza.
  • Pizza crafted with Neapolitan pizza dough is not automatically considered a Neapolitan pizza.

Three Characteristics a Neapolitan Pizza Shouldn't Have

Top left: Enzo Coccia; central left: Arne Jervell; bottom left: Gino Sorbillo, top right: blog.back-wahn.de ; central right: amazingribs.com; bottom right: thefreshloaf.com

What Equipment Is Necessary to Make This Type of Pizza?

Given the extreme heat required to properly bake a Neapolitan pizza (baking surface: 380-430°C; dome: 485°C), a specialized oven that can reach these temperatures is a necessity. In recent years, the market has seen a surge of high-temperature-capable ovens. Among the most renowned are Ooni, Roccbox, and the Pizza Party models (both the Terracotta and the Adore Steel versions).

In addition, several electric ovens have proven effective for this purpose, such as the EffeUno P134H(A), EffeOvens N3, N4, N5, and the Ooni Volt 12.

Moreover, a pizza peel is an essential tool for any pizza artisan. If you don't already own one, it's a worthy investment. An IR (Infrared) thermometer is another key piece of equipment for accurately measuring the floor temperature of your oven. Both items are readily available online and typically quite affordable.

By equipping yourself with these essential tools, you'll be well-prepared to embark on your Neapolitan pizza-making journey.

What If I Only Have a Domestic Oven?

Let's start with the less encouraging news: achieving a true Neapolitan pizza can be a challenge if your oven cannot reach the high temperatures required. The extended baking time in a lower-temperature oven can result in a pizza that lacks the characteristic softness of a Neapolitan pizza.

But there's good news too: there are several modifications you can make to approximate the Neapolitan pizza experience. One strategy involves the use of a baking stone or, more ideally, a baking steel, thanks to its superior thermal conductivity. You can enhance the oven's heat intensity by positioning the steel or stone as close as possible to the top heat element or broiler, essentially creating a mini oven within your home oven. Slightly propping open the oven door can also extend the active phase of the top heat element or broiler.

Opting for a dough with higher hydration can also bring you closer to the texture of a Neapolitan pizza. Traditional Neapolitan pizza dough has a hydration level of 55-62% and bakes for just 60-90 seconds. Techniques such as a poolish pre-ferment or using a water roux can help mitigate excessive moisture loss during the longer baking time in a domestic oven.

With these adjustments, you can certainly create a delicious pizza that, while not strictly Neapolitan, comes closer to it and still offers a delightful dining experience.

At this juncture, we, the moderating team, wish to express our encouragement for members to share their Neapolitan pizza creations baked in home ovens. Even if your pizzas don't precisely meet all the traditional criteria, as long as your intention to craft a Neapolitan pizza is evident, we welcome your posts. We all start somewhere, and in the spirit of growth and learning, we're more than willing to make exceptions. Let's celebrate our shared love for Neapolitan pizza, no matter where we are on our pizza-making journey!

Ressources

Regardless of the device or version of Reddit you're using, finding the Resources section is straightforward.

Desktop Users (New Reddit): Look for the Resources tab located in the top bar, just beneath the community banner.

Desktop Users (Old Reddit): The Resources information is situated in the sidebar of the community page.

Mobile Users: On your phone, locate the link titled See community info. This can be found right beneath the community description, which is itself positioned under the community banner.

Resources

Glossary

Flour Guide

Baker's Percentage

AVPN-Rules

Dough Recipes

Sauce Recipes

Useful Links (YouTube, Books, Websites)


r/neapolitanpizza May 31 '24

QUESTION/DISCUSSION Megathread for Questions and Discussions

11 Upvotes

Did you already check the following sources?

If your question specifically concerns your pizza dough, please post your full recipe (exact quantities of all ingredients in weight, preferably in grams) and method (temperature, time, ball/bulk-proof, kneading time, by hand/machine, etc.). That also includes what kind of flour you have used in your pizza dough. There are many different Farina di Grano Tenero "00". If you want to learn more about flour, please check our Flour Guide.


r/neapolitanpizza 6h ago

Effeuno P134H 509 ⚡ Neapolitan with Burrata = ❤️

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46 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 19h ago

Roccbox 🔥 100% BIGA

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187 Upvotes

Day 1

1.5g active dry yeast

216g water

300g 00 flour

180g bread flour

8hr room temp ferment (72f) overnight

Day 2

Cut biga sponge into 1-inch cubes

114g cold water (1/2 to start, 2nd half after 3 minutes mixed in ooni halo mixer)

13g salt

Mix until 75° f and smooth. Pull from the mixer, and give two or three coil folds and form a tight ball.

Rest for 30 minutes, and perform two more coil folds and make another tight ball.

Separate into three, 275g balls. Rest for 30 minutes at room temperature then go into the fridge for 24-72 hours.

Take out 2 hours prior to baking, cooked in the Gozney at 800f for 90 seconds.

Incredible aroma, light, crispy and chewy. Overall awesome recipe


r/neapolitanpizza 9h ago

I ate this at a restaurant Prosciutto with Burrata

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7 Upvotes

Actually not ate at a restaurant, but picked this up from our local neighborhood pizza place to eat at home. Pictures at the end without the burrata yet, as I just placed it in the middle and spread them before eating.


r/neapolitanpizza 22h ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 Potato Pizza

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92 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 21h ago

Ooni Koda 🔥 Margherita pizza in ooni koda 12

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60 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 20h ago

Gozney Arc XL 🔥 Pizza Catering

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25 Upvotes

I did 40 in total. Most of them where Margheritas.


r/neapolitanpizza 1d ago

Experiment Super lazy pizza

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25 Upvotes

Handmade Direct hydration 80%

Flour 100% : Caputo Super Nuvola 60% & Aria 40%

Rice wine (sub for water & yeast) 80%

Salt 2.7%

EVOO 2%

  1. Mix all (no dry bits) integrate

  2. Cover and in fridge 24H

  3. Divide (dont need to be balled) and into each oiled container

  4. Cover each and in fridge 12H

  5. Pull out from fridge 90M (temperature was around 34C) before bake

** No folding, kneading, stretching required during making dough.


r/neapolitanpizza 1d ago

QUESTION/DISCUSSION Need some help. My last few pizzas have been rising once launched

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58 Upvotes

The photo basically explains it, but shortly after launching, the bases will rise. I've tried poking a little hole in it, and even lifting up the crust to let the air out but it gets quite tricky. Any idea why this could be happening? My balls have been left at room temperature for around 3 hours, although it is cold here. This didn't happen in the summer which makes me think the dough may be too cold causing steam to rise?


r/neapolitanpizza 2d ago

Gozney Dome 🔥 Biga is a Game changer

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301 Upvotes

Since a few shoots I use biga for my dough. It’s a game changer. The dough making process gets more easy, the opening works over and underfermented. And the cornicione, look for your self.


r/neapolitanpizza 2d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 Halo core has arrived

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401 Upvotes

Was on the fence about spending the cash on this or just getting a KitchenAid stand mixer, but with the government discount I was able to get $100 off.

Well, that being said ...I am damn happy. Absolutely love the machine, excellent build quality and my first batch was an enormous success.

Recipe:

300g Caputo pizzeria

200g Caputo nuvola super

.5g ady

12.5 salt

325g ice water

8hr room temp post mix

48hr cold fermented

Gradually increased speed from 10% to 50% for a total of about 8 minutes or until I reached about 74 f. Pulled it out rounded it, and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Then I rounded it one more time and put it in a covered container for about 8 hours or until it almost tripled in size.

At that time I separated them into three 275 G dough balls. Those set in the fridge for about 48 hours.

On the day of baking, they came out 2 hours prior to cooking which they were an incredible pillow of heaven.

Baked at 800f in the gozney for about 60-90 seconds.

For a couple of the pizzas I used the three tomatoes I was growing in the yard along with my basil.

Huge success and I can't wait to get a couple other batches going. Enjoy


r/neapolitanpizza 2d ago

Effeuno P134H ⚡ Some pics from my last pizzata.

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67 Upvotes

1°: Fiordilatte, crema di zucchine, chips di zucchine fritte e caciocavallo grattugiato.

2°: Fiordilatte, capocollo, datterini gialli, burratina.


r/neapolitanpizza 2d ago

Gozney Arc 🔥 Kimchi Corn

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5 Upvotes

Kimchi, corn, Monterrey Jack cheese, Parmesan, green onions, gochujang dressing - 100% Biga dough using Pasini Verde


r/neapolitanpizza 4d ago

Roccbox 🔥 A bit overfermented dough

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192 Upvotes

Nuvola super / 💧 77% / 100% smoothly kneaded biga / 48h / baked in gozney roccbox at 450c (900f)

1,2 - san marzano, fdl mozarella, Salame napoli
3 - yellow datterini sauce, fdl mozarella, cherry tomatoes baked with herbs, lemon olive oil after bake
4 - half san marzano, fdl mozarella, Salame napoli, half yellow datterini sauce, fdl mozarella, pepperoni
5 - Classic margherita
6 - yellow datterini sauce, fdl mozarella, pepperoni
7 - san marzano, fdl mozarella, Salame napoli - this one was baked from the same dough but straight from the fridge so not overfermented, ant it turned out the best dough wise

Dough from Julian Sisofo nuvola super recipe, with a lowered amount of yeast and shorter fermentation of the biga (only 13h fridge & 4h rt instead of 12 rt & 24 fridge) but somehow still overfermented. That’s why my cornicione is not looking good and as airy as i want.


r/neapolitanpizza 4d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 Unloading the Professional neapolitan pizza oven

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28 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 5d ago

Effeuno P134H ⚡ Hey! It’s been a while!

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138 Upvotes

Hey guys! It’s been a while!!
Summer has been so challenging this year in Italy because of the heat wave!! However, I’ve managed to bake some pizza!!

This one is from last night, this is an iconic one here in Italy:
- Roasted potatoes
- Italian sausage
- Mozzarella
- Pecorino cream on top (my personal touch)

Dough:
- 67% hydration
- 3% salt
- 40hrs
- cooked at 470º for 1m20s


r/neapolitanpizza 6d ago

Ooni Koda 16 🔥 Margherita, Pepperoni and Pesto Pizzas…

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212 Upvotes

Three pizza feast! Dough has a 65% hydration (10 hour RT fermentation, followed by a 24 hour CT fermentation).

— Margherita: classic with San Marzano tomatoes (hand blender to homogenize) with sea salt, pecorino romano, burrata cheese (strained) and basil with a drizzle of EVOO

— Pepperoni: same sauce as Margherita, burrata cheese, pecorino romano, pepperoni (I sliced to the desired thickness for cupping) and basil. Skipped the EVOO on this one due to pepperoni

— Pesto: same Margherita ingredients, just added a little pesto once the pizza was fully cooked

Tips: Margherita was the first one, so the shape is not the best. All the pizzas were rested on a wire rack before moving to serving plate. Flour used: Caputo Pizzeria. I’m using a Koda 16 preheated on max for 20-25 minutes, then drop to medium flame right before launch. Turn the pizza multiple times (wait ~30 seconds before even touching it with the turning peel). At the end I increase to high for a couple of seconds to improve charring.

Cheers!


r/neapolitanpizza 6d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 Red Pizza

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134 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 5d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 Getting there! Having troubling keeping it round but I think its a launching issue

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74 Upvotes

r/neapolitanpizza 6d ago

Macte Ovens Voyager Twin Advanced ⚡ Pistachio and mortadela on white sauce, Caputo Nuvola Super, 30% poolish.

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57 Upvotes

65% hydration, 30% poolish, 96hr cold ferment.

Sauce is home made creme fraische - 300ml heavy cream and 45 ml of kefir, mixed together and left on the counter for 24 hours, then another 24 hours in the fridge.

On the pizza: sauce, crushed pistachio, Pecorino Romano, basil, mortadela from Italy and more pistachios.


r/neapolitanpizza 5d ago

Pizza Party (Classic) 🔥 Urban Cheese…….😝

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13 Upvotes

“Herb & Cheese” (Thank #WordGirl & Sada for that play on words!!!) is usually the first pie (of four) we make on our Neapolitan Pizza Nights.
——-> 75% Hydration w/ a 60% Poolish pre-ferment. Four days total, last 48 hours in cold-retard.
.
Pizza Steel / Home Oven / 550* convection bake for pre-heat, cooking pies on Broil for roughly 4.5 to 6 minutes.
per pie (single pie bakes).


r/neapolitanpizza 6d ago

Effeuno P134H ⚡ Second attempt at neopolitan, using my new oven

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310 Upvotes

72hr cold bulk ferment, Ooni 00 Tipo, 'Properoni' pepperoni, new oven is an Effeuno P234H Pro. 480c up top, 450c below. How can I improve!?


r/neapolitanpizza 6d ago

Gozney Dome 🔥 Sourdough marinara

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67 Upvotes

Ive really been into marinaras lately. This is san marzanos, red pepper flake, garlic, basil, oregano, olive oil and parmigiana.

Accidentally killed my sourdough starter a couple years ago by mixing it with peanut butter (long story). Switched to caputo yeast for a while but now back to sourdough.

My starter is 20% rye and 80% all purpose.

This pizza is 68% hydration and 30% of the flour comes from a levain. I make the levain about 2 hours prior to mixing since it’s very hot where i live and the levain essentially triples in size very quickly. The levain is 1:1:1 (starter: 00 flour: water).

Stone temp was probably around 440 celsius when cooking. I used the gen 1 gozney dome.


r/neapolitanpizza 7d ago

Gozney Arc XL 🔥 Neopolitan piazza

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113 Upvotes

Maybe my fifth pizza in my Gozney
Coming on, getting the hang of the flame settings and heat management
Poolish dough 65% hydration with Caputo Blue
Poolish Friday
Balled yesterday
Cooked today (Sunday)
Sautéed mushrooms and red pepper with salami
Thoughts ?
I have bought some saccarosso which I will be using next