How to Make NEAPOLITAN PIZZA DOUGH like a World Best Pizza Chef

By Vincenzo's Plate

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Pour 600 ml water into a large bowl and add 30 g salt. Mix with your hand until the salt dissolves.
2. Add 100 g flour to the water and mix by hand until dissolved, giving a crêpe-like batter.
3. Add the yeast and work it into the water with your fingers until it dissolves.
4. Add the Neapolitan flour (1 kg in total) a little at a time with one hand, mixing with the other, until the dough comes together.
5. Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead with both hands until it absorbs the remaining flour and is smooth.
6. Check the dough is ready: press a finger into it and it should spring back, or check that the core temperature is 23–26°C (73.4–78.8°F).
7. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and rest it on a flat surface for at least 2 hours.
8. Divide the dough into pieces of 250 g (8.8 oz) each and shape each into a smooth, round ball by rolling it under the palm in one spot.
9. Place the balls in an airtight, flat container and leave at 16–18°C (60.8–64.4°F) for 24 hours, until risen.
10. Flatten each ball on a floured surface with your fingertips, working from the centre outwards to a small round base with a raised edge (cornicione). Stretch it by draping over a forearm and turning, then shape into a circle.
11. For a Margherita: spread tomato sauce over the base in circles with the back of a spoon, then add basil, a pinch of dried oregano, a drizzle of olive oil and thinly sliced cherry tomatoes.
12. Bake in a wood-fired oven at 400°C (752°F), or at the highest oven setting with a pizza stone, turning the pizza halfway through for even cooking.
13. When cooked, tear a large buffalo mozzarella by hand and place it on the pizza to serve.

Summarized from Vincenzo's Plate's video. Watch it for the details.