The Secret of Neapolitan Pizza

The Neapolitan pizza history goes back to the people who wanted to retain the ancient tradition of an authentic taste. The well-secured ingredients include the Italian flour of highly refined nature, San Marzano tomatoes and Mozzarella di Bufala that is fresh mozzarella made in buffalo milk. San Marzano tomatoes are special because they grow up in volcanic soil with a slightly sweeter taste and of less acidic nature.

Things to Remember

The pizza only uses the hand kneaded dough which need not be rolled using any mechanical method. Also, the pizza cannot exceed in diameter more than 35 centimetres and it should not be thicker than one third of a single centimetre at the centre. The most essential condition is to bake it in a domed, wood-fired oven kept at 900 degree F for 60-90 seconds. Creating Neapolitan pizza is an art as it is a perfect blend of exotic ingredients and a traditional cooking style.

Secret Ingredients

First of all, you need strong plain flour, salt and yeast to prepare the dough. Then, you are required to work on the toppings that include plum tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, freshly grated parmesan cheese, basil leaves, dried oregano, chopped mozzarella and ground black pepper. You can add additional toppings like finely chopped garlic cloves, rosemary sprig, grated taleggio, speck, courgette, aubergine, prosciutto and rocket leaves to bring out the flavour.

The Recipe

Preparation starts with preheating the oven at 500 degree F. After that, you may knead the dough mixing flour, salt, yeast and lukewarm water together but do not let it to be too sticky. Make a ball out of it and let it stay idle for 5 minutes after covering it with a cloth. Later, split the dough into two parts while kneading each for some time and forming balls out of them. Now, take a neat kitchen cloth and sprinkle some flour upon it. After that, place the dough upon it and then covering it with a bit damp cloth. Leave it to rise in warm conditions for 30 minutes.

Proceed next and get tomatoes within a bowl. Slightly squash them, add pepper and salt to taste and mix them well. Now, find a clean surface and sprinkle flour on that. Furthermore, spread the dough using your fingers and shape it round with a border. The dough should be made as thin as possible looking like a pancake but it should not split. Now, take out two big, flat baking sheets and sprinkle breadcrumbs on them. Thereafter, put the pizza bases over them and spread tomato evenly above each. Putting too much of tomato should be avoided so that the pizza does not go soggy.

Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle parmesan cheese, add basil leaves or top with oregano and put mozzarella cheese. You can add toppings of own choice. The preparation should be placed in a hot oven for over 7 minutes or longer if you wish your pizza to be crispy. Take it out from the oven and it is ready to eat just after drizzling some olive oil.