Nutmeg Free Neapolitan-Style Pizza
Classic Neapolitan pizza is one of those dishes that feels almost mythological — a blistered, chewy crust with a sauce so simple it barely counts as cooking, and yet the result is absolutely transcendent. The dough relies on a long cold ferment of up to 72 hours, which builds deep flavor and that signature stretchy, airy texture without any complicated techniques or hard-to-source additives. The sauce is nothing more than hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes and salt, left completely raw so the bright, slightly sweet tomato flavor stays front and center. Fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of good olive oil, and a handful of basil finish things off in the most honest, unfussy way possible. Because every single ingredient here is whole and straightforward, there's no need to scan labels or second-guess what's hiding in a spice blend — this is naturally free of warm baking spices by design, not by compromise. The real secret weapon is a fully preheated baking steel or stone cranked to the highest temperature your oven can manage, which gives you that leopard-spotted char on the cornicione that makes a Neapolitan pie instantly recognizable. Make a batch of dough balls on a Friday and you'll have the best pizza of the week waiting for you all weekend.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the dough
- 500g (about 3 ⅓ cups) bread flour or 00 flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp instant yeast
- 325ml (about 1 ⅓ cups) cool water (65°f/18°c)
For the sauce
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
For topping
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into rough pieces
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
For serving
- flaky sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour, fine sea salt, and instant yeast. Add the cool water and mix with your hand or a stiff spatula until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
- 2
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, supple, and slightly tacky but not sticky — it should pass the windowpane test, stretching thin enough to see light through without tearing. Return it to the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 18–72 hours. The long cold ferment develops flavor and extensibility.
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