Montanara
Also known as: montanara napoletana
A Neapolitan hybrid that fries a small dough disc first, then tops and briefly bakes it, combining a fried base with conventional pizza presentation.
- Origin
- Italy, Naples
- Thickness
- medium
- Bake temperature
- 400-450 celsius (typically 420 celsius)
- Bake time
- 60-120 seconds (typically 90 seconds)
- Skill level
- advanced
- Domestic oven
- good
- Time commitment
- 6-8 hours including fermentation
- Topping density
- moderate
Origin and history
A Neapolitan round pizza that is first briefly deep-fried, then topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and basil, and finished with a short bake, combining the crisp base of frying with the topping presentation of a conventional pizza.
Defining characteristics
- Fried first, then topped and briefly baked — a hybrid of frying and conventional pizza assembly
- Round, unstuffed, unlike pizza fritta
- Crisp, puffed base from the initial fry, distinct in texture from a purely baked crust
Dough
- Hydration
- 58-65 percent of flour weight (typically 60 percent of flour weight)
- Salt
- 2.5-3 percent of flour weight (typically 2.8 percent of flour weight)
- Ball weight
- 120-160 grams (typically 140 grams)
- Bulk fermentation
- 2-4 hours (typically 3 hours)
- Ball/cold fermentation
- 4-8 hours (typically 6 hours)
Mixing: Similar to standard Neapolitan dough
Kneading: Short, gentle kneading
Shaping: Opened into a small disc, fried whole, then topped
Expected crumb: Airy and puffed from frying
Tolerance: Smaller discs fry more evenly than large ones
Common failure modes
- Oil too cool leaves it greasy rather than crisp and puffed
Flour choices
Same Neapolitan-family dough base as its parent style, pizza fritta, whose extensibility allows the disc to be fried and topped without tearing.
Construction and bake
- Open small dough discs
- Deep-fry until puffed and golden
- Top with sauce, cheese, and basil
- Brief finishing bake
Traditional method: Fried first, then finished with a short bake in a very hot oven
Common modern adaptations
- A domestic frying pan with sufficient oil depth substitutes for a dedicated fryer
Techniques
Same Neapolitan-family opening technique as its parent style, pizza fritta.
Flavour and texture
A crisp, puffed, fried base topped conventionally, combining textures of both frying and baking
Serving
Served as a small, individual pizza, often as street food or an appetiser
Usually eaten whole or cut into wedges · One or more per person as a snack or starter
Ingredients
Ingredient intelligence
Sauce
Applied after the initial fry, on the same short finishing bake as a conventional Margherita, so it stays bright rather than reducing further.
Cheese
Applied after the initial fry, melting during the brief finishing bake without becoming greasy on top of the already-fried base.
Toppings
Added during the brief finishing bake alongside tomato sauce and cheese, mirroring a conventional Margherita topping on a fried base.
Construction order
Derived from this style’s own structural ingredient data — see the construction order & topping load guide for why order varies by style.
- Sauce: Uncooked San Marzano-style tomato sauce
- Melting cheese: Fior di latte
- Fresh herbs: Fresh basil
Domestic adaptation
A frying pan handles the fry stage; a hot domestic oven or broiler finishes the bake stage reasonably well
Common mistakes
- Confusing montanara with full pizza fritta — montanara is topped and finished with a bake, not stuffed and fully fried
Related and comparable styles
- Derived from Pizza fritta
Montanara shares pizza fritta's frying technique but tops and finishes with a bake rather than fully frying a stuffed pocket.