Neapolitan Pizza Crust
This dough mixed with Trailblazer and Sequoia flours is very silky, stretchy, and easy to work with. It produces a perfectly chewy, crispy crust that makes Neapolitan pizza what it is. Go the traditional route with Marinara or Margherita pizzas or get creative and come up with your own topping ideas. You could even turn it into a fun pizza party – each guest topping their own pizza as they like!
Prep Time
2 hours
Bake Time
20 minutes
Total Time
80 hours
Yield
Six individual pizzas
Ingredients:
5½ cups (835g) Trailblazer flour
2/3 cups (95g) Sequoia flour
3½ (700g) water, at room temperature, divided
3grams instant dry yeast
25g salt, kosher or sea salt
Semolina, or Fortissimo durum flour, for shaping the pies
Baker's Notes:
* If you do not want to bake all 6 pizzas at once, you can simply freeze the excess dough after bulk fermentation (Step 10). To do this, place it in a lightly oiled container with a tight-fitting lid. Next time you want to use it, remove from the freezer the day before and place it in the refrigerator to thaw. Proceed with the remaining instructions.
** If your kitchen is on the cooler side, you may need to proof for another 15-30 minutes or place the sheet pan on top of your stove while your oven is preheating.
*** Pizza stone is highly recommended for this recipe, but if you don't have one, don't let this stop you from trying this recipe. In any case, we recommend that you let your oven preheat for an extra 15-30 minutes to make sure that it is as hot as it can get.
**** The parchment will blacken during the baking process, but that will not affect your pizzas.
***** Two of the most famous Neapolitan pizzas are Margherita and Marinara. Marinara is topped with just tomato sauce or tomatoes, while Margherita is topped with tomato sauce (or tomatoes), mozzarella, and, optionally, fresh basil sprinkled over right before serving. You are welcome to top it however you like, of course.
Instructions:
- Combine the Trailblazer and Sequoia flours and yeast in a bowl and stir well.
- Pour in all but 100 grams of water and begin to mix with your hand until it forms a shaggy mass and there are no bits of dry flour remaining.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- After the rest period (autolyze), add in the salt and reserved 100 grams of water and begin to mix it in, alternating between folding the edges of the dough in on itself and using your hand as a pincer to incorporate the salt.
- Continue to knead the dough until you have a smooth ball. Cover and let rest another 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes are up, begin the folding process: wet one hand, reach into the bowl and fold one side of the dough over into the middle, followed by the opposite side, and then the two alternate sides as if you are folding an envelope.
- Once you're done with the first fold, flip your dough over in the bowl, so the bottom is now the top.
- Repeat the folding process three more times, at 30 minutes intervals. After the final fold, re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in your refrigerator for 72 hours, if possible. If pressed for time, anything over 18 will work.
- On the day you're ready to make pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before you're baking time.
- Once the dough comes to room temperature, lightly flour your counter with regular flour and carefully turn your dough out onto it. Cut the dough into six equal portions, 265-275 grams each* (see Baker’s Notes).
- Take your first portion of the dough, place it in front of you on your work surface and repeat the folding process from step 6.
- Flip the dough over and repeat the folds on the other side. At the end, use your fingers to pull the dough under itself to make a smooth, round ball with the seams tucked under.
- Repeat this pre-shaping process with the remaining dough portions.
- Place the dough balls seam side down on a lightly greased sheet pan, lightly oil the tops of the balls and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to proof at room temperature for 45-60 minutes** (see Baker's Notes).
- Place your baking rack in the center of the oven. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the lower half of the oven while it heats up*** (see Baker's Notes). Preheat the oven to as high as it would go (500°F to 550°F for most household ovens).
- Once the dough has proofed, place a piece on a worksurface generously dusted with Fortissimo durum flour or semolina and use your fingertips to gently deflate it in the middle. If your dough is a little sticky, dust the tops with flour to work it.
- Again, using your fingertips, start pushing and stretching the dough toward the edge, making sure to leave a "lip" all the way around.
- After the initial stretching on the countertop, gently pick up your dough disk and continue stretching it by using the knuckles of your hands and moving the dough in a circle until it reaches 10-12" in diameter. Take care to preserve the lip.
- Evenly coat the bottom of your dough disk in Fortissimo flour or semolina and place your it onto a parchment-lined sheet pan**** (see Baker's Notes).
- Repeat the shaping with the remaining dough disks, setting them on the second and even third parchment-lined sheet pan as you run out of space.
- Top the pizzas in your favorite way***** (see Baker's Notes) and put them in the hot oven, one sheet pan at a time, to avoid cooling the oven too much.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the pizzas are bubbly and slightly burned on the edges. If your oven has a top broiler, turn it on for the last 2-3 minutes (don't forget to turn it off for the first few minutes of baking the second batch).
- Serve piping hot.
Baker's Notes:
* If you do not want to bake all 6 pizzas at once, you can simply freeze the excess dough after bulk fermentation (Step 10). To do this, place it in a lightly oiled container with a tight-fitting lid. Next time you want to use it, remove from the freezer the day before and place it in the refrigerator to thaw. Proceed with the remaining instructions.
** If your kitchen is on the cooler side, you may need to proof for another 15-30 minutes or place the sheet pan on top of your stove while your oven is preheating.
*** Pizza stone is highly recommended for this recipe, but if you don't have one, don't let this stop you from trying this recipe. In any case, we recommend that you let your oven preheat for an extra 15-30 minutes to make sure that it is as hot as it can get.
**** The parchment will blacken during the baking process, but that will not affect your pizzas.
***** Two of the most famous Neapolitan pizzas are Margherita and Marinara. Marinara is topped with just tomato sauce or tomatoes, while Margherita is topped with tomato sauce (or tomatoes), mozzarella, and, optionally, fresh basil sprinkled over right before serving. You are welcome to top it however you like, of course.