Neapolitan-Style Sourdough Pizza at Home

Short answer: mix a 65% hydration sourdough with 00 flour, cold ferment 24–72 hours, shape thin, top minimally, and bake on a 600°F+ stone or steel for 90 seconds. The result approximates Neapolitan pizza at home.

What makes Neapolitan pizza

Authentic Neapolitan:

• 00 flour (low protein, soft)
• 65% hydration
• Long cold ferment (24–72h)
• Shaped by hand (no rolling pin)
• Topped minimally (San Marzano, mozzarella di bufala, basil)
• Baked at 900°F+ for 60–90 sec
• Charred (leoparded) crust
• Soft center, can't hold its toppings

Real Neapolitan needs a wood-fired oven (900°F). At home, we get close with a 600°F stone or steel.

The recipe

For 4 pizzas (250g each):

• 600g 00 flour (or bread flour)
• 390g water (65%)
• 100g active starter
• 15g salt

Method

Mix

Combine flour, water, starter, salt. Mix to shaggy. Rest 30 min.

Knead briefly (3 min) until smooth.

Bulk

Bulk 3 hours at 75°F with 2 sets of folds.

Divide

Divide into 4 equal pieces (approx. 275g each).

Shape each into a tight ball. Place in oiled containers (one per dough ball).

Cold ferment

Refrigerate 24–72 hours. The longer, the more flavor.

Pre-bake setup

Preheat oven (with stone or steel inside) to maximum temperature for 60 minutes.

If you have a broiler, use it.

If you have a pizza oven (Ooni, Roccbox), heat to 900°F.

Shape

Take one dough ball out. Let warm 30 min.

On a floured surface (semolina is ideal), gently pat into a flat round. Use fingers, no rolling pin. Stretch by lifting and rotating.

Aim for 12 inches across, slightly thicker at the edge.

Top

Tomato sauce: 60g per pizza (San Marzano, crushed, no cooking, just salt).

Cheese: 80g mozzarella di bufala (fresh), torn into chunks.

Fresh basil: 4 leaves (added after baking, not before).

Bake

Slide pizza onto preheated stone/steel.

Home oven (500–550°F): bake 8–10 min.

Pizza oven (700°F+): bake 90–120 sec.

True Neapolitan oven (900°F): 60–90 sec.

Why 00 flour

00 flour:

• Very fine grind
• Soft, low protein
• Authentic to Italy
• Produces a softer crumb

Bread flour works as a substitute but the texture is slightly different (chewier).

Why long cold ferment

A 72-hour cold ferment:

• Deep flavor
• Easier to handle dough
• Better blistering on the crust
• Distinctive Neapolitan character

If you can plan ahead, do 72 hours. Otherwise 24 minimum.

Why a hot oven

The hot oven:

• Sets the crust before the toppings sog
• Creates the leoparded char
• Cooks pizza fast (preserves cheese texture)
• Authentic dramatic appearance

Without high heat, you get good pizza but not Neapolitan.

Variations

Margherita (the standard)

Tomato, mozzarella di bufala, basil, olive oil.

Marinara

Tomato, garlic, oregano, olive oil. No cheese.

Diavola (spicy)

Tomato, mozzarella, spicy salami.

Bianca (white)

No tomato. Just olive oil, mozzarella, garlic.

Quattro formaggi

Mozzarella + gorgonzola + parmesan + ricotta.

Mushroom

Tomato, mozzarella, sautéed mushrooms.

Prosciutto and arugula

Bake plain margherita. After bake, top with prosciutto and arugula.

Why minimal toppings

Neapolitan is about restraint:

• Too much sauce: soggy crust
• Too much cheese: heavy
• Too many toppings: not Neapolitan, becomes American

Less is more. Trust the dough and the simple ingredients.

Storage

Pizza dough keeps:

• Refrigerated: 3 days (gets better with time)
• Frozen, in oiled balls: 2 months

Cooked pizza:

• Reheated: 350°F oven, 5 min
• Don't microwave (gets soggy)

A pizza party

Make one 600g batch:

• 4 dough balls
• Cold ferment 48h
• Bake 4 pizzas with different toppings
• Cut into slices, share

Better than ordering, more fun.

A note on tomato

San Marzano tomatoes (DOP):

• The authentic choice
• Sweet, low acid
• Imported from Italy

Substitute: any high-quality canned whole tomato. Crush by hand. Add a pinch of salt. No cooking needed.

A note on cheese

Mozzarella di bufala (water buffalo milk):

• The authentic choice
• Soft, fresh, milky
• Imported from Italy

Substitute: fresh cow's milk mozzarella. Drain on paper towels for 30 min before using (removes excess moisture).

Avoid: pre-shredded mozzarella. It's coated in starch and doesn't melt as well.

A pizza oven recommendation

For serious home pizza:

• Ooni Karu (wood/charcoal/gas, $400)
• Ooni Koda (gas, $300)
• Roccbox (gas, $500)

These reach 900°F and produce true Neapolitan pizza.

If you don't want to invest, a 600°F home oven + baking steel produces excellent pizza.

Common failures

Pizza is soggy — too much sauce or too much cheese.

Pizza didn't rise (no leopard spots) — oven not hot enough or dough not cold-fermented long enough.

Pizza is tough — over-handled the dough or used too much flour.

Pizza is bland — under-fermented or no salt.

Pizza burnt on bottom, raw on top — broiler not used; cheese needs top heat.

A weeknight pizza

If you can't do 24h cold ferment:

• Same recipe
• Bulk 4 hours
• Shape, bake immediately
• Result: still good, just less complex

Sourdough pizza is forgiving.

Why this beats delivery

Delivery pizza:

• $20+
• Average dough
• Heavy toppings
• Soggy by arrival

Home Neapolitan:

• $5 for ingredients
• Superior dough (long ferment)
• Minimal, quality toppings
• Fresh out of the oven

Once you've had one, delivery feels mediocre.

A final tip

Don't overload your pizza. The dough is the star. The simplicity is the point.

Two great ingredients on excellent dough beat ten ingredients on mediocre dough every time.

Bake one. Eat it standing up. Crumple a little bit of basil over it. This is what pizza should be.