AVPN Pizza Napoletana Dough Recipe

This recipe will make two 10-inch pizzas and uses a 59 percent hydration rate for a high-heat pizza oven. For pizza made in a conventional oven, lower temperatures, adjust the hydration rate to 75 - 80 percent to accommodate longer cooking times

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% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Baking Schedule First Fermentation 1 Hours to 2 hours Shape Dough Balls Second Fermentation 2 Hours. Cold Fermentation 24 to 48 hours in the refrigerator. Remove the dough 2 to 4 hours before cooking and let sit at room temperature.

Step 2

When using dry yeast instead of fresh yeast, you want to cut the amount of yeast by 1/3. Dry yeast is much stronger than fresh yeast. Use no more the 0.3 grams of yeast for this recipe or 1/4 tsp

Step 3

Grab a large mixing bowl and add water and salt and mix until salt is dissolved. This is a slow fermentation process, so you don't need to activate the yeast using warm water at this point.

Step 4

Flour, water, and yeast are mixed, making sure that direct contact between salt and yeast does not occur. Slowly add 10% of the flour and mix by hand. Add the remaining flour a third at a time and keep mixing until all the flour and water are incorporated. After all the flour is added now it's time to add the yeast and mix until fully incorporated.

Step 5

This can be done in a mixer or kneading by hand. Mix or knead for about 5 minutes. You can test to ensure the dough is ready by pressing your finger into the dough. It should spring back or, use an instant-read thermometer; when the dough reaches a temperature between 78 and 82 Fahrenheit, it's ready.

Step 6

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 1 hours. Using a damp cloth is important so the dough doesn't dry out. Note 1 hour is plenty in the summertime but during the winter months you can increase to 2 hours.

Step 7

Staglio / Portioning For the “true Neapolitan pizza” the loaves must respect a proportionality between the weight of the loaf and the diameter of the pizza (200 - 280 g, to obtain a pizza with a diameter between 22 and 35 cm) Shape the dough ball and weigh it so it's 275g in size. This recipe should yield 2 dough balls.

Step 8

If you're cooking the same day, put the dough balls in a container with a lid and proof for 2 hours at room temperature. If you're cooking the next day, cold ferment the dough in the refrigerator between 24 to 36 hours. On the day of cooking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature 2 hours before cooking.

Step 9

Once the leavening hours have passed, the dough is removed from the box with the help of a spatula, quickly dipped in four (so as not to absorb excessive four) to prevent it from sticking to the work surface. At this point, pressure is applied with the fingers of both hands on the dough, from bottom to top, until it reaches the size of your hand. The widening is completed using both hands, providing the coordinated movement of lifting and extending the fap and rotating the disc of dough