A Master Class in Neapolitan Pizza Making (Full Breakdown)

By Alex Chung

Senior Food Writer at Pro Home Cooks

Today is a very important day because I’ve been documenting and sharing my pizza journey with all of you since I got on YouTube many years ago. I’ve improved and grown a lot of the years and hopefully you have as well. However, I still consider myself a hobbyist. You know, I’m somewhere like level seven or eight and I’m trying to get to 10. Which is why today is very exciting because I flew in a true master, a true level 10 Neapolitan pizza maker, someone who has been studying pizza their whole life and he’s coming over to give all of us a complete master class Neapolitan style pizza. His name is Vito Iacopelli and he has been making pizza for years! He even had his own pizza store back in Italy and he’s here with me to teach you and I how to make a classic neopolitan style pizza so lets get right into it!

Poolish

Ingredients:

  • 200 grams of water
  • 5 grams of honey
  • 5 grams of yeast
  • 200 grams of 00 or AP flour

    Instructions:

    1. In a large container add the water, honey, and yeast. Mix to dissolve the yeast.
    2. Next, add in the flour and mix until there are no dry spots. Let it sit for 15 minutes, uncovered.
    3. Seal it and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
    4. Place in the fridge overnight or anywhere from 16 – 24 hours but nothing more otherwise it will become acidic.

    Pizza Dough

    Ingredients:

    • Poolish, recipe above
    • 300 grams of Manitoba flour or bread flour
    • 200 grams of 00 or AP flour
    • 300 grams of water
    • 20 grams of salt

      Instructions:

      1. In a large bowl add all of the poolish, bread flour, and 00 flour.
      2. In a measuring cup add in water and salt. Mix to dissolve salt.
      3. Integrate the flour into the polish while adding the water little by little.
      4. You should have a very wet dough once all of the water has been added.
      5. Now, dump out the dough onto a clean surface and start working it. Click the video to see how Vito does it.
      6. After, you have worked the dough you should be left with a more cohesive yet shaggy dough. Cover it with a little bit of oil and let it sit for 15 minutes.
      7. Now, gently detach the dough from the counter and shape into a tight bowl.
      8. Cover with olive and a damp towel. Let it sit for 1 hour.
      9. Now, that the dough is ready. Cut into 250 – 280 gram pieces. Gently shape into a ball. Click here to see how Vito does it!
      10. Place the dough balls onto a baking tray, keeping them four fingers apart.
      11. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 – 2 hours.
      12. Now, you are ready to make some pizza.

        Tomato Sauce

        Ingredients:

        • 1 can of whole peeled tomatoes
        • Handful of salt
        • Chopped basil
        • 1 teaspoon of olive oil

          Instructions:

          1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.
          2. Crush the tomatoes by hand and make sure to leave some chunks of tomatoes. Set aside.

            Neapolitan Pizza

            Ingredients:

            • Pizza Dough, recipe above
            • Pizza sauce, recipe above
            • Fresh mozzarella, cut into equal sized cubes
            • Parmesan Cheese
            • Fresh Basil
            • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

              Instructions:

              1. Dust your dough ball with some flour and using a small spatula, gently lift out the dough into a bowl of flour. Wrap the rest of the dough balls so they don’t dry out and put them away.
              2. Dredge the dough ball in some flour then transfer to your work surface. Take the dough ball that is now coated in flour and press out the dough. See how Vito does it here.
              3. Then spoon the sauce right in the center and gently swirl it out. Grate some parmesan on top, followed by mozzarella, basil, and olive oil.
              4. Using a pizza peel, transfer the pizza to your oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.
              5. To finish off the pizza, grate some more parmesan over top, top with torn basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
              6. Slice & serve!

                Neapolitan Pizza

                Ingredients:

                Poolish:

                • 200 grams of water
                • 5 grams of honey
                • 5 grams of yeast
                • 200 grams of 00 or AP flour

                Pizza Dough:

                • Poolish, recipe above
                • 300 grams of Manitoba flour or bread flour
                • 200 grams of 00 or AP flour
                • 300 grams of water
                • 20 grams of salt

                Tomato Sauce:

                • 1 can of whole peeled tomatoes
                • Handful of salt
                • Chopped basil
                • 1 teaspoon of olive oil

                Neapolitan Pizza:

                • Pizza Dough, recipe above
                • Pizza sauce, recipe above
                • Fresh mozzarella, cut into equal sized cubes
                • Parmesan Cheese
                • Fresh Basil
                • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

                Instructions:

                Poolish:

                1. In a large container add the water, honey, and yeast. Mix to dissolve the yeast.
                2. Next, add in the flour and mix until there are no dry spots. Let it sit for 15 minutes, uncovered.
                3. Seal it and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
                4. Place in the fridge overnight or anywhere from 16 – 24 hours but nothing more otherwise it will become acidic.

                Pizza Dough:

                1. In a large bowl add all of the poolish, bread flour, and 00 flour.
                2. In a measuring cup add in water and salt. Mix to dissolve salt.
                3. Integrate the flour into the polish while adding the water little by little.
                4. You should have a very wet dough once all of the water has been added.
                5. Now, dump out the dough onto a clean surface and start working it. Click the video to see how Vito does it.
                6. After, you have worked the dough you should be left with a more cohesive yet shaggy dough. Cover it with a little bit of oil and let it sit for 15 minutes.
                7. Now, gently detach the dough from the counter and shape into a tight bowl.
                8. Cover with olive and a damp towel. Let it sit for 1 hour.
                9. Now, that the dough is ready. Cut into 250 – 280 gram pieces. Gently shape into a ball. Click here to see how Vito does it!
                10. Place the dough balls onto a baking tray, keeping them four fingers apart.
                11. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 – 2 hours.
                12. Now, you are ready to make some pizza.

                Tomato Sauce:

                1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.
                2. Crush the tomatoes by hand and make sure to leave some chunks of tomatoes. Set aside.

                Neapolitan Pizza:

                1. Dust your dough ball with some flour and using a small spatula, gently lift out the dough into a bowl of flour. Wrap the rest of the dough balls so they don’t dry out and put them away.
                2. Dredge the dough ball in some flour then transfer to your work surface. Take the dough ball that is now coated in flour and press out the dough. See how Vito does it here.
                3. Then spoon the sauce right in the center and gently swirl it out. Grate some parmesan on top, followed by mozzarella, basil, and olive oil.
                4. Using a pizza peel, transfer the pizza to your oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.
                5. To finish off the pizza, grate some more parmesan over top, top with torn basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
                6. Slice & serve!
                By Alex Chung

                Senior Food Writer at Pro Home Cooks

                Published