Neapolitan pizza

Developed in Naples among working-class communities as an inexpensive, quickly-cooked flatbread topped simply with tomato, cheese, or both. The Margherita topping combination is traditionally said to have been created in 1889 in honour of Queen Margherita of Savoy, though the precise circumstances of that story are debated by food historians.

Disputed: The specific 1889 Margherita creation story involving pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito is widely repeated but not independently documented at the time; historians treat it as a popular legend rather than a confirmed record.

Protected status: EU Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) status since 2010 for 'Pizza Napoletana'

• Soft, pillowy, high-rising rim (cornicione) with irregular leoparding (charring spots)
• Thin, pliable centre that is traditionally eaten with a knife and fork or folded
• Baked for 60-90 seconds on an oven floor of about 380-430C, with the dome around 485C (AVPN 2024 regulation)

Hydration

58–65% (typically 60%)

Salt

2.5–3% (typically 2.8%)

Ball weight

200–280 g (typically 250 g)

Bulk fermentation

2–6 h (typically 4 h)

Ball/cold fermentation

10–18 h (typically 14 h)

Mixing: Machine or hand mixed to a smooth, moderately developed dough; overmixing is avoided

Kneading: Short, gentle kneading; long fermentation does most of the structural work

Shaping: Hand-opened from the centre outward, preserving the untouched rim (stesura); the AVPN does not permit a rolling pin or press

Expected crumb: Open and irregular in the rim, thin and minimal in the centre

Tolerance: Very sensitive to flour strength and fermentation time; too little fermentation gives a dense rim, too much weakens the dough's ability to hold the high-heat bake

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• Type 00 flourTraditionalWell established

  Produces the smooth, highly extensible, moderate-strength dough the AVPN standard specifies, able to withstand a 60-90 second, very-high-temperature bake without tearing or burning before the crust sets.

• Bread flourDomestic substituteGenerally accepted

  Gives a workable, though slightly less extensible, dough; domestic bakes typically run longer and cooler than the traditional 60-90 second bake, which the extra strength tolerates well.

  For home bakers without access to imported Italian 00 flour.

• PoolishOptional flavour/scheduling choiceGenerally accepted

  Adds mild flavour complexity and easier stretch without changing the style's defining characteristics.

  Used by some pizzaiuoli who want extra flavour complexity and extensibility beyond a straight direct dough — never a requirement of the AVPN standard itself.

1. Open the dough
2. Apply sauce
3. Apply cheese
4. Apply remaining toppings
5. Bake
6. Finish with basil or oil if used

Traditional method: Wood-fired oven, or a gas or electric oven certified by the AVPN; under the AVPN's 2024 regulation the floor runs about 380-430C and the dome about 485C, for a 60-90 second bake with frequent turning

• Opening the doughDefiningWell established

  Preserves the untouched rim that puffs into the cornicione during baking.

• Launching (with a peel)Normally requiredGenerally accepted

  Gets the delicate, high-hydration disc onto the oven floor intact.

• Turning the pizzaNormally requiredGenerally accepted

  Compensates for the strongly directional heat of a wood-fired dome.

  Domestic alternative: Less critical in an evenly heated domestic oven or steel setup.

• BallingNormally requiredGenerally accepted

  Gives each portion a sealed, taut skin that traps gas evenly through the final proof.

A soft, chewy-but-tender rim with real char flavour, contrasted with a thin, almost custardy centre carrying the sauce and cheese

Served whole, uncut, traditionally eaten folded (a portafoglio) or with a knife and fork

Traditionally not pre-sliced · One pizza per diner is standard

Less suitable: Heavy, wet, or numerous toppings overwhelm the thin centre and can prevent it from cooking through in the short bake time

Derived from this style’s own structural ingredient data — see the construction order & topping load guide for why order varies by style.

1. Sauce: Uncooked San Marzano-style tomato sauce
2. Melting cheese: Fior di latte, Buffalo mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala)
3. Primary topping: Anchovies
4. Oil or seasoning before baking: Oregano (dried)
5. Fresh herbs: Fresh basil

• Neapolitan pizza in a high-heat pizza oven

  The classic short, hot bake — built around a soft, long-fermented dough and a high-heat pizza oven rather than a domestic one.

Most domestic ovens cannot reach the 380-430C floor temperature the AVPN specifies for a 60-90 second bake; a preheated steel and the oven's highest setting (often with a broiler finish) gets closest, at the cost of a longer bake and less dramatic leoparding

• Overloading toppings
• Shaping cold, unrested dough
• Pressing into the rim while opening the dough

Pizza a portafoglio (Naples street food): A smaller, folded-for-eating-on-the-go serving convention (usually a Margherita or Marinara) rather than a distinct structural style — same dough, shaping, and bake as Neapolitan pizza generally, just served folded in quarters instead of flat.

• Parent style of Pizza Margherita

  Margherita is a named topping combination applied to the standard Neapolitan dough and bake method, not a structurally distinct style.

• Parent style of Pizza Marinara

  Marinara is the other canonical named topping on the standard Neapolitan dough and bake method.

• Parent style of Pizza canotto

  Pizza canotto is a contemporary evolution of Neapolitan pizza, exaggerating the rim while keeping the same fundamental dough and bake method.

• Similar to Roman tonda

  Both are round Italian pizzas, but they differ substantially in crust structure: Neapolitan has a soft, raised rim while Roman tonda is uniformly thin and crisp.

• Softer than Roman tonda

  Roman tonda's rolled, lower-hydration dough and longer, cooler bake produce a uniformly crisp result, whereas Neapolitan pizza has a soft, pliable centre and rim.

• Influenced by New York-style pizza

  New York-style pizza descends directly from Neapolitan pizza brought by Italian immigrants, adapted to American flour and commercial deck ovens.

• Conditionally compatible with Pineapple

  Pineapple's high water content is manageable on thicker, longer-baked styles but poorly suited to Neapolitan's short bake and delicate centre without careful draining.

  Condition: only if well-drained first; undrained pineapple's moisture is especially disruptive on a short, delicate Neapolitan bake