Neapolitan Style Pizza Making at Home

In this section, Davide Civitiello introduces the process of making Neapolitan style pizza at home, highlighting key ingredients and techniques required for a successful outcome.

Ingredients and Preparation

• Davide explains the additional ingredients needed when making pizza in an electric oven at home, including oil and sugar for achieving crispiness and browning.

• He emphasizes the importance of preheating the oven with a refractory stone to ensure proper cooking conditions.

• The process of preparing the dough is detailed, starting with mixing Caputo flour, water, salt, and yeast in specific proportions to allow for optimal leavening.

Dough Preparation

• Davide demonstrates the correct method of incorporating salt, yeast, and flour while avoiding direct contact between salt and yeast to prevent enzyme deactivation.

• Gradual addition of flour along with sugar and oil is highlighted as essential for achieving the right consistency in the dough.

• Kneading techniques are discussed, emphasizing the importance of creating a hydrated dough suitable for longer cooking times in a home oven.

Pizza Dough Kneading Techniques

This section delves into kneading techniques crucial for developing gluten structure in pizza dough to achieve desired texture and elasticity.

Flour Incorporation

• Gradual addition of flour is recommended to reach optimal hydration levels suitable for baking on a stone surface.

• The kneading process by hand is explained to enhance gluten development over 15 to 20 minutes until a uniform elastic dough is obtained.

Dough Shaping

• Davide demonstrates cutting and shaping individual portions of dough to form uniform pieces suitable for creating pizzas with consistent thickness.

• Emphasis is placed on maintaining uniform weight across dough portions to ensure even cooking results during baking.

Tomato Preparation for Neapolitan Pizza

This segment focuses on traditional tomato preparation methods essential for enhancing flavor profiles in Neapolitan style pizzas.

Tomato Handling

• Instructions are provided on salting whole tomatoes before adding basil leaves and olive oil to preserve freshness and flavor integrity.

Neapolitan Pizza Making Process

In this section, the expert demonstrates the process of making Neapolitan pizza from cutting mozzarella to baking the pizza in a home oven.

Cutting Mozzarella and Dough Preparation

• Mozzarella should be cut with a knife into thin sticks to maintain proper texture on the pizza.

• After leavening for 6 to 8 hours, the dough doubles in volume. The key is to handle the dough minimally to avoid overworking it.

Rolling Out the Dough and Adding Ingredients

• Roll out the dough gently without adding excess flour. Create a uniform border to contain ingredients.

• Add tomato sauce sparingly in a spiral motion within the border to prevent excess moisture. Place mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil for flavor.

Baking and Serving

• Ensure correct proportions of mozzarella, basil, and olive oil on top of the pizza.

• Slide the pizza onto a hot refractory stone in a home oven for 5 - 6 minutes until ready to eat. Neapolitan pizzerias cook it in about 90 seconds.