Neapolitan Pizza Dough
Nothing beats homemade Neapolitan-style pizza dough. It's fluffy, chewy and has a perfectly crispy crust. Everything what you want in a pizza.
Allow 2 hours for this dough to rest and rise before baking.
What you'll need:
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 1/4 cups ‘00’ flour, or bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil
How to make it:
Using a glass measuring cup, add warm water, active yeast and honey. Stir to dissolve. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 5 minutes to make sure the yeast is alive. It should foam and start to bubble.
When adding flour, fill the measuring cup with spoonfuls instead of scooping with the cup, then level off. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix on low speed for about 8 minutes. The dough will start to pull away from the sides but still remain soft and slightly sticky at the bottom of the bowl.
Spread a thin layer of olive oil around the mixing bowl and scrape the dough toward the center. Cover with a towel and allow to sit in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. A good, warm spot in my house is in a cold (off) oven with the light on.
Knock down the dough. Choose to cut into 4 equal pieces if making small pizzas, or simply reform into one big ball. Allow the dough to proof for an additional 1 hour back in the bowl, covered; or place each small ball into a ziplock bag to keep separate.
The dough is now ready to use. Preheat the oven to 500° F, and place a baking sheet or pizza stone in the oven to preheat.
Gently stretch a dough ball by pulling and stretching. Then lay on unbleached parchment paper and push/pat the edges out, turning the dough to stretch to an 8-11” rough circle. Add your favorite toppings. Transfer the dough-on-parchment to the hot baking sheet or pizza stone.
Bake at 500° F for about 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown. Drizzle the crust with extra olive oil if desired. Slice and serve hot.
Note: The longer the dough rests the easier and relaxed the dough is to stretch.
Make your own Marinara Sauce:
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt (celtic, himalayan, kosher, etc.)
2 large sprigs basil (about 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
In a medium bowl mix everything together. Whisk until the oil is incorporated into the tomatoes. Set aside to let the flavors marry for 30+ minutes. Use the sauce as desired on your favorite pizzas.
Sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; or freeze for 3 months.