Pizza napoletana is the original pizza — and the technique that defines it is among the most precisely codified in all of Italian food. The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) and the STG (Specialità Tradizionale Garantita) EU designation specify every detail: the dough uses only tipo 0 or tipo 00 flour, water, sea salt, and fresh brewer's yeast or natural leavain. No sugar, no oil, no fat in the dough. The hydration is 55-62%, and the dough undergoes a long, cold fermentation (8-24 hours or more) that develops flavour and digestibility while creating the characteristic light, airy cornicione (the puffy raised edge). The shaping is by hand — never a rolling pin — with the pizzaiolo stretching the dough from the centre outward, pushing air from the centre into the rim, creating a thin, almost translucent base with a thick, pillowy cornicione. The oven must be wood-fired, reaching 485°C (905°F) at the floor, and the pizza bakes for 60-90 seconds — in this extraordinary heat, the base chars in spots (the 'leopard-spotting' that is the signature of genuine Neapolitan pizza), the cornicione puffs dramatically with internal air pockets, and the toppings just melt. The result is a pizza that is soft, pliable, slightly charred, with a smoky, bread-like base and a cornicione that tears to reveal a honeycomb of bubbles. It is folded and eaten by hand, often dripping with tomato juice and olive oil. In 2017, the art of the Neapolitan pizzaiolo was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list — a recognition that pizza-making is not merely cooking but craft, art, and cultural identity.
Dough: tipo 0 or 00 flour, water (55-62% hydration), sea salt (3%), fresh yeast (0.1-0.3%)|No sugar, no oil, no fat in the dough — ever|Knead until smooth and elastic, then cold-ferment for 8-24 hours|Divide into dough balls (180-250g each), prove at room temperature for 4-8 hours|Shape by hand only — never use a rolling pin; stretch from centre, pushing air to the rim|The base should be thin (3mm max) with a thick, puffy cornicione (1-2cm)|Top sparingly — less is more; the dough is the star|Bake in a wood-fired oven at 485°C floor temperature for 60-90 seconds|The pizza should have 'leopard spotting' — scattered char marks on the cornicione|Serve immediately — Neapolitan pizza has a lifespan of about 5 minutes before it softens
The water temperature is calculated based on the flour temperature and ambient temperature to achieve a final dough temperature of 23-25°C — this is the 'rule of 55' (water temp = 55 - flour temp - room temp). The best flour for Neapolitan pizza has a W value (dough strength) of 260-320 — this provides enough structure for the long fermentation without becoming tough. The leopard-spotting on the cornicione is not burning — it is the Maillard reaction on the dough's surface at extreme heat, and it contributes a subtle bitterness and smokiness that is essential to the flavour. The San Marzano tomato (DOP) is crushed by hand, not blended — the rough texture of hand-crushed tomato on pizza is part of the experience. Fior di latte (cow's milk mozzarella) is the traditional cheese for Margherita, not buffalo mozzarella (which releases too much water in the oven).
Adding sugar or oil to the dough — this produces a different product (Roman-style or American-style, not Neapolitan). Using a rolling pin — it crushes the air bubbles that should be in the cornicione. Under-fermenting — without long fermentation, the dough is dense, bready, and less digestible. Overloading with toppings — the thin base cannot support heavy loads; it tears and soaks through. Baking at too low a temperature — under 400°C, the bake takes too long and the base becomes crisp rather than soft. Eating with a knife and fork throughout — fold it: 'a libretto' (like a book) or 'a portafoglio' (like a wallet).
Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) disciplinare; STG Pizza Napoletana EU regulation; UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage inscription 2017; Antonio Pace, La Pizza Napoletana (2002)