Paraben Free Neapolitan-Style Pizza
Few things beat a pizza built from scratch with nothing but flour, water, salt, yeast, crushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, and basil — and that simplicity is exactly what makes this recipe such a clean, confident choice. Parabens are synthetic preservatives found in a surprising number of packaged and processed foods, so knowing every ingredient on your counter is a real advantage. There are no jarred sauces, no pre-shredded cheese blends, and no store-bought dough here — just whole, recognizable components you can trust from the first mix to the final slice. The long cold ferment, anywhere from 18 to 72 hours in the refrigerator, does the heavy lifting on flavor, giving the crust that slightly tangy, complex depth you'd expect from a proper Neapolitan pie. A screaming-hot baking steel or stone at 500–550°F creates those gorgeous charred spots on the cornicione and a crisp, golden underside that no delivery box could ever replicate. Torn fresh mozzarella melts into creamy pools, the uncooked San Marzano sauce stays bright and a little chunky, and a handful of fresh basil leaves at the end keeps everything tasting alive and vibrant. It's the kind of pizza that makes you wonder why you ever ordered out in the first place.
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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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