This is perfect! I have definitely missed pizza from Italy … my favorite being from Sorrento! That in itself was quite an experience as we sat at a table with locals … they didn’t speak English and we spoke very little Italian, but the experience was fun and the pizza was delicious!
Do you use dry yeast, instant yeast or fresh yeast? I’ve been searching for a perfect recipe for pizza dough for a long time. Without success, unfortunately… Nothing compares to the pizza in Italy. But I don’t give up and keep on looking. And this recipe convinces me. I will definietly try it at home (if I am successful, I’ll also write a post on my blog) but first I need to know every detail – type of yeast at the beginning. 😉
I have discovered baking the pizza in our BBQ. It gets much hotter (over 700 degrees) and seems to look more like something that came out of the pizza oven!
I use pizza stones, but have discovered that they tend to crack easily, so I have found pizza stones that are thinker. You can also use granite or marble remnants that fit into your BBQ grill.
Just a quick note of thanks, we used this recipe for some pizzas we cooked in a wood fired chimenea. The taste was sensational, followed to the letter bar the fresh yeast and the end product was as good as we have ever eaten. We prefer really thin pizzas and found that half the recipe made 3x 12″ beauties.
Thanks again for posting this, I will be using the religiously.
Thanks for this great recipe, this will be dinner this Friday!
On a side note, the story about Queen Margherita and the namesake pizza has recently been debunked (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/0/20515123). It shows that the marketing gene was quite alive in Signore Esposito as he went to quite some length to perpetuate this myth.
Hi Fabian,
Thanks for stopping by! And thanks for sharing re: the myth—we thought it sounded too cute to be true, but it’s shown up in so many reputable food history books, well, we just had to include it. Interesting to see it was just a sly marketing trick! Thanks again!
I am really interested to give this recipe a go. However, I would just like advice on what type of “tomato sauce’ you use for the topping? The tomato sauce on pizzas in Italy adds so much to the flavour!
Thanks
Hi Jenny,
Great point! Our resident “pizzaiolo” says the best tomato sauce is done by taking fresh, ripened tomatoes that are “slightly” squashed and cooking them for 8-10 minutes with extra virgin olive oil, onion OR garlic, and salt, in a pan. They don’t have to cook too much, since they wind up in the oven in the end. If you can’t get fresh tomatoes, peeled, canned tomatoes will do; in that case, 5 minutes on the stove is more than enough time.
Please let us know if we can help with anything else!
Hi Devin,
As we write in the recipe, you heat the oven to about 400°F, or about 200°C. The proportions of all of the ingredients are listed at the top of the recipe 🙂 Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Another type of pizza… the temperature can be much higher, around 500 Celsius, and the cooking time is appr 90 sec. (The problem is that you cannot really reach this in a standard electric owen.) The “official” pizza in my opinion is best represented by Pizza Napoletana, which happen to have a European Union Standard as well : http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:034:0007:0016:EN:PDF
Note that this document actually has the recipe as well. 🙂 I normally do the Heston Blumenthal’s Pizza Napoletanish pizza, but I have an wood-fired owen in my garden – I can heat it up almost to this temp- the baking time for me is 2.5-3 mins).
Hi Janice,
It’s a little confusing! We’ve found that 25 grams yeast is about 2.5 teaspoons of active dry yeast, *or* a little more than 1 packed tablespoon of fresh yeast. What measurements have you been using? Let us know if we can help with anything else!
My moms family are from Naples, dads from Trieste. Mom and me are going to make this for the family as an early pre dinner snack on Christmas Day. New York style white has as it’s base ricotta. The toppings will be sliced fresh mozzarella, skinless blanched tomato, chopped prosciutto and spinach. Both versions, red/white and Roman too. Hows it sound?
Wow! I so love your pizza! esp. that little girl there helping in the kitchen. Your pizza reminds me of my best ever Italian pizza experience at Pizza Paradiso Orlando. Big hit! Anyways, I think I’ll be trying your recipe, so wish me luck! Thanks for the blog.
My first time making dough, disaster! I put everything in the “volcano crater”, unsure of how to go about mixing, I ended up with lots of water and oil running off the table onto the floor. How do you mix it on the table like that? Could I just mix it in a bowl and then knead on the table?
And I don’t know if my yeast measurement is correct. I used 2.25 tsp of dry yeast, is that correct?
Anyway, I tried to salvage what I could and it’s sitting now, hope it turns out ok. Please give me mixing advice so I can try again!!!
I have tried a few different recipes for pizza – Yours is hands down the best! I only had instant yeast and i used wholemeal flour but it was absolutely wonderful!!! I made 3 very thin pizzas with half of your recipe and got a lot of compliments from my family and guests 🙂 thank you for posting!
Hey there…!! Yours is a great pizza recipe with lot of authentic information. I had always thought all Italian pizzas are thin crust but I was wrong.
Anyways, can I make pizza dough without yeast? And will that turn out to be a perfect crust??
Hi, if I want to make 8 pizzas, just the dough with no toppings in advance, can I roll out the pizzas the night before? If yes, do I bake the dough the night before? how do I store them and will they still taste the same? I want to make the dough in advance so all I have to do on the day I bake them is put the toppings on the pizza and bake them?
Ciao! You can definitely make the dough and roll it out (and also put them in the different trays) on the night before. Sometimes this method is event better so the dough will have more time to rise and rest, becoming even easier to digest. Don’t bake it on the night before, but rather “dust” it with a bit of olive oil, so that the dough doesn’t dry up. On the day you need it, you will put the toppings on and bake them. A little secret: don’t put the mozzarella immediately but about 15 minutes after you put the trays in the oven. This will prevent the mozzarella cheese from becoming overcooked! 🙂
Hi, in regards to making the dough the night before and storing it on trays, can I put dough in like plastic container with olive oil so it wont dry and cover with lid and do I leave it on counter over night or put container in frig? thanks for the recipe I’m from NY and I miss my pizza and where I live now (Dominican Republic) I cant get NY, Italy any kind a pizza remotely close to what I’m use to unless I make it myself so THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! 😉
Ciao Yolanda! Yes, the dough can be left in plastic container “brushed” with olive oil, so that it doesn’t stick to the container. Do not put the dough in the fridge as this would block the raising process. It’s actually better to cover the container with a blanket (in the Winter) and with a slightly wet, cotton cloth. Enjoy and let us know if you have any questions 🙂
I did it today with great success. Thanks a lot. We are lucky to have the tripple OO flour in Bangkok. I was wondering about the amount of salt. I cut down to be safe though.
In 2012, I went to Italy to visit my fiancee. She introduced me to my first authentic Italian pizza in Piacenza and it was without a doubt, the best I have ever had in my life. I can’t wait to try this recipe and will be making it soon!
Hi, just a comment on the salt. DO NOT put in 1.5 tablespoons. That is way too much. It was so salty we could hardly eat it. My gut said it was too much but I followed the recipe anyway. Cut it down to about 2 teaspoons at most.
An excellent recipe. I made the dough one afternoon and then left it to rest overnight. The next day I made the best Italian pizza I have had in this country. A bit of tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, olives and some basil leaves. I found it best if the oven was turned up to macimum. I agree that the 1.5 tbsp of salt is probably a touch excessive although it wasn’t overly salty. Next time I will try half that amount. I also made mini dough balls which we ate with garlic butter….hmmm!
I decided to try your recipe but i’m having some issues with the numbers like the 7 cups of flour equals 1 kg. but when I went looking online for the actual weight of the 00…it’s less then 1 kg. for the 7 cups….your numbers are coming to 142.85 gms per cup and online it show many different weight like 127 gm and King Arthur is showing 106 gm per cup so, what should i focus on the 1kg and forget the 7 cups???
and at this point all I have is IDY instant dry yeast and the 2.25 teaspoons are weighing in at 9 gm., hope that is ok.
2 tbsp. sugar is 8 gm.
1.5 tbsp. salt is 26 gm.
600 ml water is 575 gm.
EVO 6 tbsp is 84 gm.
let me know what to do and if i’m off any where…Thanks
Doesn’t salt and sugar kill the yeast? I know we need a lot of it to kill it, but what are the implications of adding these 2 ingredients so early in the process?
How to avoid killing the yeast?
Also, if we’re supposed to add fresh yeast, how do we add it to the warm water? As far as I know, fresh yeast has a cheese like consistency and therefore we cannot sprinkle it into the warm water.
sorry for the basic questions, but I am a terrible cook and have to follow recipes step by step and with full instructions 🙂
Thanks in advance for any comment
Hi Carl,
No, the salt and sugar shouldn’t kill the yeast. The yeast is a bit like cheese, but by letting it soak a bit in the warm water, you can easily mix it with your fingers! Good luck with your pizza, we’re sure it will be great!
Hi. I’m really confused about the amount of yeast. Your recipe calls for 2.25 teaspoon which should be 25 g. However one package of yeast is 7 g and when I measured it with a teaspoon it was the equivalent to a little over one package which is a little more than 7 g.
Also, since I want to prepare the dough ahead of time, is it ok to leave the dough out overnight in room temperature?
Absolutely love this pizza recipe. It’s the only one I use. I make it every Friday night, my husband and kids love it. I’ve also done it for other members of the family and they can’t believe how amazing and authentic the pizzas turn out. I’ve been using a shop bought pizza sauce but would love to make my own. Do you add herbs to the tomatoes? Thanks x
Trying this tomorrow! Just making it for myself so cutting the ingredients to 1/4.
I’m a HUGE fan of Via Napoli’s pizza in EPCOT in Disney and this seems pretty darn close to it.
Excited!
Just making it sauce and cheese (Margherita) first go around /w basil
We shall see!
I noticed in the ingredients it calls for salt, and sugar. What part of the directions does this her used? I’m guessing I mix it with the warm water before adding the yeast, is this correct?
I made this pizza dough recipe yesterday and it is amazing! I followed the recipe to the letter, except I made the volcano in my Kitchen Aid mixer added the water/yeast in the crater and mixed with a dough hook on “2” for about 4-5 minutes. It turned out perfect! Thank you so much for posting!
Real Italian pizza dough doesn’t use olive oil and sugar.
You don’t need the sugar to feed the yeast, it digests the sugars and other carbohydrates in the flour.
The oil can inhibit this process.
The Association Verace Pizza Napoletana calls for only water, flour, salt and yeast.
Perfect in my wood oven, but I’ve also had very good results on a stone. http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/public/pdf/VPN%20disciplinare%20english.pdf
Hello,
It might sound as a silly question, but I would like some advice please. I want to make 1/4 of this dough. We like really thin pizzas and I find that 250gr of flour makes 2 perfect size thin pizzas for my husband and me. The question is – should I divide everything by 4? Even the yeast?
Many thanks for your help!
Hi! You can indeed divide by 4 if you want to quarter the recipe. Since dough tends to take a bit of time, we would probably recommend that you just make the entire recipe, then cut the dough into quarters. Take the balls you don’t use, wrap them in saran wrap and put them in the freezer. They will keep for upwards of a month – just make sure to bring them back to room temperature before baking them.
hello! yesterday i found your recipe and decided to give it a try. I followed everything exactly and made the dough. After cooking it, it turned out like a bread consistency, nothing like pictured or anything that tasted mildly good. i was just wondering as this has happened with two other pizza dough recipes i have used. Is there anything i could be doing wrong to make this happen?
Hi Katie! A few things can make pizza dough better or worse. The first is the quality of the flour. As above, we recommend 00 flour as flours that aren’t as finely ground tend to taste more bready/cakey. The next is the heat of your oven. Proper wood or coal-fired pizza ovens are extremely hot. They are made to basically scorch the dough so its in and out and quickly as possible. Many ovens don’t get as hot as they say they do and most don’t get as hot as pizza ovens. You can help correct this by using a pizza stone. Finally, if you’re still struggling it can help to let your dough rest. This is a bit annoying because it adds time to the process but many pizzerias make their dough the night before and leave it for a secondary or tertiary proofing. You can do the same by wrapping your ball of dough in saran wrap and leaving it in the fridge overnight. Hope this helps!
I found this recipe this week and I just finished eating my pizza. This was so very good. I was able to make 4 10-12″ pizza’s. I used 600 ml’s of warm water, 25 grams of my active dry yeast, 7+ cups of all-purpose flour, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar and 6 Tablespoons of olive oil.
I was not sure this was going to work, but I worked the dough in my Kitchen aid mixer until I had to knead it myself. Seems I had to add a lot more flour when kneading, than I thought I would need to, but it worked out great! Definitely a keeper and may try to halve the recipe for our small family because we only ate 1 1/2 of the pizza’s. The house smelled so good and we were very pleased with our meal 🙂
Thanks!!
Oh whoa, these photos of the pizza look amazing. I really like the one with the basil leaves, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. I would love to learn how to make it, but I fail in comparison, so I think going to a restaurant to get some pizza would be the best idea. Thanks.
Trying to find a recipe for a pizza we ate a lot when we were stationed on a small island in Italy call La Maddalena. It was a garlic and red sauce only pizza. We got it without the cheese cause it lost its. Wonderful garlic flavor if you added cheese. It seems like it would be straight forward as recipes go but I have tried it and even ordered at a few restarants and the garlic is always to spicy. So I am curious if you can help me with a recipe, suggestions and/or advise on how to make it like the ones we enjoyed so much from there.
Thank you
Jm
I love Italian style pizza and I am definitely going to try it in my recently purchases Ilfornino wood fired pizza oven. Moreover, only a wood fired pizza oven can create yummy and smoky flavor that cannot be created in a normal oven.
Thank you so much for sharing! My son has a crush on italiano pizza… however having 4 kids it is becoming a little.pricey at 5 rial a pizza and the 2 elder ones polishing one each lol. I am going to try this out tomorrow now. I love that it has no scales too.. so.me!!
Wow, this pizza looks absolutely fantastic! Unfortunately, I’m not that great of a cook. We will have to look for a pizza restaurant that offers some pizza like this. I didn’t realize that Italian pizzas are so regional and typically cooked in a wood-fired oven. Great to know!
Hi! I am curious about what kind of tomato sauce do you use. Brand and is it simple or cooked? I remember when I was a kid in Romania it was this hotel where they made this amazing pizza dough that I have never again had the chance to eat (not even in Italy. but have not yet been to Naples) and the sauce was made with all sort of spices. I do it myself but is never as good. They even gave this sauce in a bowl to put on pizza. I have again never seen this, even in more expensive pizzerias, although I can’t say I’ve been in that many but still. Nowadays almost every pizzeria uses simple tomato sauce (even in Italy) and I find that todays pizza doesn’t match with the pizza from 15-20 years ago. why is that? and my most important question: any great recepies for a great sauce? I hope it makes sence what I just said
what will happen to this dough if my oven is at a temp of 350C or 400C will the pizza base come out dry, will i be able to fold a slice, or will it be like a cracker. Can this dough only be cooked at the lower temp, mentioned in the post.
Thank You
Hi Brian,
The dough won’t likely fold like a cracker,but it depends how long you keep it in, of course. We suggest to stick to 350 degrees, at least, and test the crust until it’s cooked as you prefer it! Enjoy!
Hi Simon,
Yes that is perhaps the most common way to make it, but there are many ways to cook everything including real authentic dishes, and many Italian cooks add a spoon or two of sugar as well. Try both out for yourself and see which you prefer!
Absolutely love the recipe! I love Italian pizza but when it comes to cooking… me and my wife both, well, we suck! There’s an online cooking game series called Papas Games http://papasgames.us/, which is for kids, super easy and simple, and guess what i can’t even bake a pizza in those games, sigh… Still though i’d like to learn and experiment with this recipe and even master it at some point. The recipe is very well written, which is something really rare these days, every website I go to they just copy/paste worthless recipes, this is different though, even better than most youtube video recipes. Thanks for sharing. definitely going to give it a try.
Excellently laid out recipe. I will definitely try this. I have questions on steps 10 and 14.
1. Step 10 – Did you mean divide the dough into 4 equal portions instead of half because you mentioned that this recipe makes 4 12″ pizzas
2. Step 14 – Do we have to bake it for 10 mins with just the dough and the tomato topping (if required) before even we spread the cheese? Because, I am new to making Pizzas and I never came across such a thing. So, really curious to try this. What is the difference between Loading everything on the pizza dough (sauce, cheese, vegetables, spices) and baking vs. spreading the cheese after 10 mins of baking the dough?
Hi Sri,
Put simply, yes and yes. It’s best to bake the crust first without the toppings to ensure that the water of the cheese and toppings doesn’t make the crust soggy. Try it, we’re sure you’ll like it! 🙂
I made this pizza on one of your tours 2 years and would love to try to replicate it. I I wanted to make the dough the night before, is it ok to let it rise overnight? Should I refrigerate it if I do? If not, do you have any suggestions?
Hi Nicole,
Yes it should be fine to prepare the night before. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator. Take it out fridge and bring to room temperature before stretching it out. Buon appetito!
Just returned from Italy 2 weeks ago and the pizza was fantastic! Wanted to attempt to replicate it and tried your recipe today. It is absolutely delicious and very close to what we enjoyed in your country. My only question is about when to split the dough and freeze- before it rises 5 hours; or after? I was extremely happy to find your recipe and directions! We will enjoy this from now on. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you! Allow the dough to rise for five hours, then take it out and knead it some more to get out any air bubbles. After, divide the dough in half and let it rest for a few minutes before rolling each section into a 12-inch disc. Buon appetito!
I’ve only ever made bread dough in a mixing bowl before. I tried the “volcano” method here, and well…. the volcano erupted, and the ‘lava’ went everywhere! It started off as a slow leak through the sides, so luckily I had time to grab a bowl and catch most of it, but the rest went into my lap and on the floor! No problem though, because A) I’m a messy cook anyways, and B) the pizza came out great!
My compliments to the chef!
I halved this recipe because I live alone. Halved again to freeze half for later. What a lovely dough to work with! Delicious too, perfect texture and I thought the sugar and salt balanced very well in the final yummy pizza. I will always use this recipe in the future, Thank you for sharing! Shelly
Over the years, decades I should say, our taste changes. I once didn’t like thin crusted, real Italian style pizza, but I came to love it a few years ago. Thing is, there is only ONE place anywhere near where I live that has the correct ingredients and dough to make a a Real Italian style piza. That being Belachino’s in Cookeville, tn. The issue is that they “Americanize” it most of the time by under cooking it. The little blackness around the edges and spots of black under the crust do NOT mean it’s nearly burnt: they mean it is PERFECTLY cooked ITALIAN STYLE and they add SO much flavor, SO much!
Was I supposed to let the yeast sit for five minutes in order for it to bubble and become somewhat froth like before I mixed it?
I made it without letting it sit first and it is not as elastic as I thought and was pretty tough to mix all together. It is rising now, these are just my concerns since this was my first time ever making pizza dough.
Hi Bonnie,
In Italy, each person gets their own personal (large) pizza and even finishes it all! That’s because it is much lighter and easier to digest than an American-style pizza, with fresher ingredients. This recipe is for four pizzas, so follow it to serve four people. Otherwise, you can try to halve the recipe – anything else might change the outcome too much. Buon appetito!
If I use dried yeast instead of fresh, should I still follow your instructions on how to activate it, or should I activate it as instructed on the back of the packet of yeast?
Italy pizza is yummy in taste and after seeing your recipe to make Italian pizza water comes in my mouth as you have well explained each step well and very easily to make pizza with base is difficult to make but after looking at this recipe everything is going to cleared.
HI ,WALKS OF ITALY, I LIVE IN SPRING HILL,FLORIDA ON THE WEST COAST 45 MIN. NORTH OF TAMPA FLORIDA..A FEW YEARS AGO 2 ITALIAN CHEFS CAME TO OUR TOWN FROM NAPLES .OPENED AN ITALIAN RESTURANT AND NAMED IT ‘ CHEFTS OF NAPLES”.THIS ONE WAS SO GREAT THAT THEY OPENED 2 MORE IN DIFFERENT TOWNS.THEY MAKE ITALIAN DISCHS PLUS PIZZA, THE PIZZA IS MADE IN A 2 DOOR GAS OVEN LINED WITH STONE THIS IS THE ONLY PIZZA RESTURANT THAT I ORDER PIZZA FROM..THEIR ARE MANY PIZZA PLACES ALL OVER FLORIDA, BUT NONE CAN COMPARE ,WITH THE” CHEFS OF NAPLES” I WATCHED AS THEY MAKE A PIZZA THEY NEVER USE OLIVE OIL I ASKED WHERE IS THE OLIVE OIL I WAS TOLD THEY MIX IT IN THE TOMATO SAUCE ( OR GRAVY AS SOME PEOPLE CALL IT) .IS THIS OK
After many failed attempts with pizza dough…… This recipe was perfect!!!! I’m very picky when it comes to pizza, and this is now my go to recipe! Thank you so much!!!
I made this tonight and rolled the dough very thin but I found the edge of the crust too crunchy and hard. Should I have let the dough rise a bit before laying on the toppings?
Absolutely love this pizza recipe. It’s the only one I use. I make it every Friday night, my husband and kids love it. I’ve also done it for other members of the family and they can’t believe how amazing and authentic the pizzas turn out
I’ve been using a shop bought pizza sauce but would love to make my own.
Oh my heavens. I cannot believe I found this site and this recipe. You have made my day. I too lived in Italy with so many fond memories. I was a child when my father took a job with Pirelli. Then there were the Detroit days and a lot of waiting in line at Buddy’s for the best pizza ever. You have sparked a lot of interest for me. Thank you.
I love colorful recipes indeed, and this pizza is absolutely flavorful!
Love this so good, our family really enjoyed it… saved it to one of my pins for pizza night! thanks!
Hi… I live in South Africa and we love pizzas… been to Italy on numerous occasions. Please advise on flour… we only get white bread flour or cake flour in SA… which one will be better for the pizza dough?
I want to make this the night before. Are you letting it “rise/proof” overnight or do you let it rise the recommended 5 hours, then pound it down to get out the air bubbles, and then cover and let it “rest” overnight? I don’t want do something wrong here and have it over-rise and lose flavor/consistency. At any point should I refrigerate? I wouldn’t be eating it right away in the morning, so is there a point in time where it has rested or Proofed for too long? Same question would go for when in the process you should freeze it.
I used to eat a typical pizza loaded with ingredients until I tried one in Italy, just tomato, cheese and basil… YUM!
This is perfect! I have definitely missed pizza from Italy … my favorite being from Sorrento! That in itself was quite an experience as we sat at a table with locals … they didn’t speak English and we spoke very little Italian, but the experience was fun and the pizza was delicious!
Do you use dry yeast, instant yeast or fresh yeast? I’ve been searching for a perfect recipe for pizza dough for a long time. Without success, unfortunately… Nothing compares to the pizza in Italy. But I don’t give up and keep on looking. And this recipe convinces me. I will definietly try it at home (if I am successful, I’ll also write a post on my blog) but first I need to know every detail – type of yeast at the beginning. 😉
Hi Ewa,
We use fresh yeast! Let us know how it goes 🙂
I have discovered baking the pizza in our BBQ. It gets much hotter (over 700 degrees) and seems to look more like something that came out of the pizza oven!
I use pizza stones, but have discovered that they tend to crack easily, so I have found pizza stones that are thinker. You can also use granite or marble remnants that fit into your BBQ grill.
Will instant yeast work for this recipe? I don’t have any fresh. This pizza looks delish… can’t wait to try it! 😉
Hi Liz,
We find that fresh yeast tastes a little better, but instant yeast will work fine, if that’s all you have. Let us know how it goes! 🙂
Just a quick note of thanks, we used this recipe for some pizzas we cooked in a wood fired chimenea. The taste was sensational, followed to the letter bar the fresh yeast and the end product was as good as we have ever eaten. We prefer really thin pizzas and found that half the recipe made 3x 12″ beauties.
Thanks again for posting this, I will be using the religiously.
We’re so glad to hear it, Dan! Thanks for letting us know 🙂 Happy pizza-making!
Thanks for this great recipe, this will be dinner this Friday!
On a side note, the story about Queen Margherita and the namesake pizza has recently been debunked (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/0/20515123). It shows that the marketing gene was quite alive in Signore Esposito as he went to quite some length to perpetuate this myth.
Hi Fabian,
Thanks for stopping by! And thanks for sharing re: the myth—we thought it sounded too cute to be true, but it’s shown up in so many reputable food history books, well, we just had to include it. Interesting to see it was just a sly marketing trick! Thanks again!
I am really interested to give this recipe a go. However, I would just like advice on what type of “tomato sauce’ you use for the topping? The tomato sauce on pizzas in Italy adds so much to the flavour!
Thanks
Hi Jenny,
Great point! Our resident “pizzaiolo” says the best tomato sauce is done by taking fresh, ripened tomatoes that are “slightly” squashed and cooking them for 8-10 minutes with extra virgin olive oil, onion OR garlic, and salt, in a pan. They don’t have to cook too much, since they wind up in the oven in the end. If you can’t get fresh tomatoes, peeled, canned tomatoes will do; in that case, 5 minutes on the stove is more than enough time.
Please let us know if we can help with anything else!
At what heat do you have to cook it, and what are the proportions?
Hi Devin,
As we write in the recipe, you heat the oven to about 400°F, or about 200°C. The proportions of all of the ingredients are listed at the top of the recipe 🙂 Let us know if we can help with anything else!
this is AMAZINGLY YUMMY
Hi,thanks for dis recipe…am from nigeria and all we have here is dry yeast…is it okay to use dry yeast and what measurement?
Hi there,
You’re very welcome! You can use the same amount of yeast if it’s dry (instant).
Let us know if we can help with anything else!
Awesome! So happy I found your post. Have been looking all over for this classic dough recipe. Can’t wait to make it!
do you really use 25 grams of fresh yeast in your recipe, thats a massive amount for 1kg of flour?
That’s our recipe! Try it and let us know what you think 😉
Quick question, can the dough be frozen to use at a later time?
Hi Leah,
Yes, it most certainly can! Enjoy!
Questa ricetta e perfetta! Ho fatto una sorpresa grande per la mia famiglia. Grazie a te ho potuto fare una pizza messicana molto delicioso.
Another type of pizza… the temperature can be much higher, around 500 Celsius, and the cooking time is appr 90 sec. (The problem is that you cannot really reach this in a standard electric owen.) The “official” pizza in my opinion is best represented by Pizza Napoletana, which happen to have a European Union Standard as well : http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:034:0007:0016:EN:PDF
Note that this document actually has the recipe as well. 🙂 I normally do the Heston Blumenthal’s Pizza Napoletanish pizza, but I have an wood-fired owen in my garden – I can heat it up almost to this temp- the baking time for me is 2.5-3 mins).
… and the guys filing the eu standard: http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/index_eng.php
Isn’t 25 grams equal to 2.25 tablespoons not teaspoons? We have made this recipe several times, great recipe
Hi Janice,
It’s a little confusing! We’ve found that 25 grams yeast is about 2.5 teaspoons of active dry yeast, *or* a little more than 1 packed tablespoon of fresh yeast. What measurements have you been using? Let us know if we can help with anything else!
trying now your recipe can i reduce the time for dough to rise to only half or one hourinstead of such long wait 4-5 hours as in your recipe thanks
Hi Elle,
If at all possible, we recommend leaving the dough to rise for the full amount of time. But tell us how it goes!
as its my first time making a pizza could you tell me why oil the dough just before letting it rise thanks again for your time !
Hi Elle,
It keeps the dough more moist and delicious 🙂 Good luck!
My moms family are from Naples, dads from Trieste. Mom and me are going to make this for the family as an early pre dinner snack on Christmas Day. New York style white has as it’s base ricotta. The toppings will be sliced fresh mozzarella, skinless blanched tomato, chopped prosciutto and spinach. Both versions, red/white and Roman too. Hows it sound?
That sounds delicious, Bob. Wow! Enjoy!
Wow! I so love your pizza! esp. that little girl there helping in the kitchen. Your pizza reminds me of my best ever Italian pizza experience at Pizza Paradiso Orlando. Big hit! Anyways, I think I’ll be trying your recipe, so wish me luck! Thanks for the blog.
My first time making dough, disaster! I put everything in the “volcano crater”, unsure of how to go about mixing, I ended up with lots of water and oil running off the table onto the floor. How do you mix it on the table like that? Could I just mix it in a bowl and then knead on the table?
And I don’t know if my yeast measurement is correct. I used 2.25 tsp of dry yeast, is that correct?
Anyway, I tried to salvage what I could and it’s sitting now, hope it turns out ok. Please give me mixing advice so I can try again!!!
Hi there, yes, you can try mixing in a bowl 🙂 Let us know how it goes!
Hi, despite the mess it was still good! thanks!
I have tried a few different recipes for pizza – Yours is hands down the best! I only had instant yeast and i used wholemeal flour but it was absolutely wonderful!!! I made 3 very thin pizzas with half of your recipe and got a lot of compliments from my family and guests 🙂 thank you for posting!
Hey there…!! Yours is a great pizza recipe with lot of authentic information. I had always thought all Italian pizzas are thin crust but I was wrong.
Anyways, can I make pizza dough without yeast? And will that turn out to be a perfect crust??
Ciao! Yeast – whether fresh or dry – is essential to the recipe to give the pizza a perfect crust. Let us know if you have any other questions!
Hi, if I want to make 8 pizzas, just the dough with no toppings in advance, can I roll out the pizzas the night before? If yes, do I bake the dough the night before? how do I store them and will they still taste the same? I want to make the dough in advance so all I have to do on the day I bake them is put the toppings on the pizza and bake them?
Ciao! You can definitely make the dough and roll it out (and also put them in the different trays) on the night before. Sometimes this method is event better so the dough will have more time to rise and rest, becoming even easier to digest. Don’t bake it on the night before, but rather “dust” it with a bit of olive oil, so that the dough doesn’t dry up. On the day you need it, you will put the toppings on and bake them. A little secret: don’t put the mozzarella immediately but about 15 minutes after you put the trays in the oven. This will prevent the mozzarella cheese from becoming overcooked! 🙂
Hi, in regards to making the dough the night before and storing it on trays, can I put dough in like plastic container with olive oil so it wont dry and cover with lid and do I leave it on counter over night or put container in frig? thanks for the recipe I’m from NY and I miss my pizza and where I live now (Dominican Republic) I cant get NY, Italy any kind a pizza remotely close to what I’m use to unless I make it myself so THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! 😉
Ciao Yolanda! Yes, the dough can be left in plastic container “brushed” with olive oil, so that it doesn’t stick to the container. Do not put the dough in the fridge as this would block the raising process. It’s actually better to cover the container with a blanket (in the Winter) and with a slightly wet, cotton cloth. Enjoy and let us know if you have any questions 🙂
I did it today with great success. Thanks a lot. We are lucky to have the tripple OO flour in Bangkok. I was wondering about the amount of salt. I cut down to be safe though.
So glad to hear it!
For sure I’ll try! And like everyone else we’ll post the results!! Thanks for the recipe.
In 2012, I went to Italy to visit my fiancee. She introduced me to my first authentic Italian pizza in Piacenza and it was without a doubt, the best I have ever had in my life. I can’t wait to try this recipe and will be making it soon!
This was the best pizza crust recipe I’ve ever tried! My husband loved the pizza I made with it. I will definitely use this recipe again.
Do you have a good recipe for a tomato sauce to accompany the dough? Thanks!
Maybe some of our readers will have some they can share!
1.5 Table spoons of salt? its that right?
Do you have a sauce recipe
Sounds delicious … Love everything that is traditional and tasty .. Thanks
Hi, just a comment on the salt. DO NOT put in 1.5 tablespoons. That is way too much. It was so salty we could hardly eat it. My gut said it was too much but I followed the recipe anyway. Cut it down to about 2 teaspoons at most.
An excellent recipe. I made the dough one afternoon and then left it to rest overnight. The next day I made the best Italian pizza I have had in this country. A bit of tomato sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, olives and some basil leaves. I found it best if the oven was turned up to macimum. I agree that the 1.5 tbsp of salt is probably a touch excessive although it wasn’t overly salty. Next time I will try half that amount. I also made mini dough balls which we ate with garlic butter….hmmm!
I decided to try your recipe but i’m having some issues with the numbers like the 7 cups of flour equals 1 kg. but when I went looking online for the actual weight of the 00…it’s less then 1 kg. for the 7 cups….your numbers are coming to 142.85 gms per cup and online it show many different weight like 127 gm and King Arthur is showing 106 gm per cup so, what should i focus on the 1kg and forget the 7 cups???
and at this point all I have is IDY instant dry yeast and the 2.25 teaspoons are weighing in at 9 gm., hope that is ok.
2 tbsp. sugar is 8 gm.
1.5 tbsp. salt is 26 gm.
600 ml water is 575 gm.
EVO 6 tbsp is 84 gm.
let me know what to do and if i’m off any where…Thanks
waaay too much yeast and salt
Doesn’t salt and sugar kill the yeast? I know we need a lot of it to kill it, but what are the implications of adding these 2 ingredients so early in the process?
How to avoid killing the yeast?
Also, if we’re supposed to add fresh yeast, how do we add it to the warm water? As far as I know, fresh yeast has a cheese like consistency and therefore we cannot sprinkle it into the warm water.
sorry for the basic questions, but I am a terrible cook and have to follow recipes step by step and with full instructions 🙂
Thanks in advance for any comment
Hi Carl,
No, the salt and sugar shouldn’t kill the yeast. The yeast is a bit like cheese, but by letting it soak a bit in the warm water, you can easily mix it with your fingers! Good luck with your pizza, we’re sure it will be great!
Hi. I’m really confused about the amount of yeast. Your recipe calls for 2.25 teaspoon which should be 25 g. However one package of yeast is 7 g and when I measured it with a teaspoon it was the equivalent to a little over one package which is a little more than 7 g.
Also, since I want to prepare the dough ahead of time, is it ok to leave the dough out overnight in room temperature?
Absolutely love this pizza recipe. It’s the only one I use. I make it every Friday night, my husband and kids love it. I’ve also done it for other members of the family and they can’t believe how amazing and authentic the pizzas turn out. I’ve been using a shop bought pizza sauce but would love to make my own. Do you add herbs to the tomatoes? Thanks x
Trying this tomorrow! Just making it for myself so cutting the ingredients to 1/4.
I’m a HUGE fan of Via Napoli’s pizza in EPCOT in Disney and this seems pretty darn close to it.
Excited!
Just making it sauce and cheese (Margherita) first go around /w basil
We shall see!
I noticed in the ingredients it calls for salt, and sugar. What part of the directions does this her used? I’m guessing I mix it with the warm water before adding the yeast, is this correct?
Hi Jalen,
The sugar and salt can simply be mixed in with the flour!
I made this pizza dough recipe yesterday and it is amazing! I followed the recipe to the letter, except I made the volcano in my Kitchen Aid mixer added the water/yeast in the crater and mixed with a dough hook on “2” for about 4-5 minutes. It turned out perfect! Thank you so much for posting!
Real Italian pizza dough doesn’t use olive oil and sugar.
You don’t need the sugar to feed the yeast, it digests the sugars and other carbohydrates in the flour.
The oil can inhibit this process.
The Association Verace Pizza Napoletana calls for only water, flour, salt and yeast.
Perfect in my wood oven, but I’ve also had very good results on a stone.
http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/public/pdf/VPN%20disciplinare%20english.pdf
Hello,
It might sound as a silly question, but I would like some advice please. I want to make 1/4 of this dough. We like really thin pizzas and I find that 250gr of flour makes 2 perfect size thin pizzas for my husband and me. The question is – should I divide everything by 4? Even the yeast?
Many thanks for your help!
Hi! You can indeed divide by 4 if you want to quarter the recipe. Since dough tends to take a bit of time, we would probably recommend that you just make the entire recipe, then cut the dough into quarters. Take the balls you don’t use, wrap them in saran wrap and put them in the freezer. They will keep for upwards of a month – just make sure to bring them back to room temperature before baking them.
hello! yesterday i found your recipe and decided to give it a try. I followed everything exactly and made the dough. After cooking it, it turned out like a bread consistency, nothing like pictured or anything that tasted mildly good. i was just wondering as this has happened with two other pizza dough recipes i have used. Is there anything i could be doing wrong to make this happen?
Hi Katie! A few things can make pizza dough better or worse. The first is the quality of the flour. As above, we recommend 00 flour as flours that aren’t as finely ground tend to taste more bready/cakey. The next is the heat of your oven. Proper wood or coal-fired pizza ovens are extremely hot. They are made to basically scorch the dough so its in and out and quickly as possible. Many ovens don’t get as hot as they say they do and most don’t get as hot as pizza ovens. You can help correct this by using a pizza stone. Finally, if you’re still struggling it can help to let your dough rest. This is a bit annoying because it adds time to the process but many pizzerias make their dough the night before and leave it for a secondary or tertiary proofing. You can do the same by wrapping your ball of dough in saran wrap and leaving it in the fridge overnight. Hope this helps!
I’m going to try this right now. I love italian pizaa – always have these on hand. Thanks for sharing this.
I found this recipe this week and I just finished eating my pizza. This was so very good. I was able to make 4 10-12″ pizza’s. I used 600 ml’s of warm water, 25 grams of my active dry yeast, 7+ cups of all-purpose flour, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar and 6 Tablespoons of olive oil.
I was not sure this was going to work, but I worked the dough in my Kitchen aid mixer until I had to knead it myself. Seems I had to add a lot more flour when kneading, than I thought I would need to, but it worked out great! Definitely a keeper and may try to halve the recipe for our small family because we only ate 1 1/2 of the pizza’s. The house smelled so good and we were very pleased with our meal 🙂
Thanks!!
Wow that sounds good, thanks for that!
Oh whoa, these photos of the pizza look amazing. I really like the one with the basil leaves, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. I would love to learn how to make it, but I fail in comparison, so I think going to a restaurant to get some pizza would be the best idea. Thanks.
Trying to find a recipe for a pizza we ate a lot when we were stationed on a small island in Italy call La Maddalena. It was a garlic and red sauce only pizza. We got it without the cheese cause it lost its. Wonderful garlic flavor if you added cheese. It seems like it would be straight forward as recipes go but I have tried it and even ordered at a few restarants and the garlic is always to spicy. So I am curious if you can help me with a recipe, suggestions and/or advise on how to make it like the ones we enjoyed so much from there.
Thank you
Jm
wanna try them They look delish
I love Italian style pizza and I am definitely going to try it in my recently purchases Ilfornino wood fired pizza oven. Moreover, only a wood fired pizza oven can create yummy and smoky flavor that cannot be created in a normal oven.
Thank you so much for sharing! My son has a crush on italiano pizza… however having 4 kids it is becoming a little.pricey at 5 rial a pizza and the 2 elder ones polishing one each lol. I am going to try this out tomorrow now. I love that it has no scales too.. so.me!!
Wow, this pizza looks absolutely fantastic! Unfortunately, I’m not that great of a cook. We will have to look for a pizza restaurant that offers some pizza like this. I didn’t realize that Italian pizzas are so regional and typically cooked in a wood-fired oven. Great to know!
Hi! I am curious about what kind of tomato sauce do you use. Brand and is it simple or cooked? I remember when I was a kid in Romania it was this hotel where they made this amazing pizza dough that I have never again had the chance to eat (not even in Italy. but have not yet been to Naples) and the sauce was made with all sort of spices. I do it myself but is never as good. They even gave this sauce in a bowl to put on pizza. I have again never seen this, even in more expensive pizzerias, although I can’t say I’ve been in that many but still. Nowadays almost every pizzeria uses simple tomato sauce (even in Italy) and I find that todays pizza doesn’t match with the pizza from 15-20 years ago. why is that? and my most important question: any great recepies for a great sauce? I hope it makes sence what I just said
do you let the yeast foam up before putting it into the flour?
Hi Wise,
We allow the yeast to dissolve in the water completely before putting it in the flour. Buon Appetito!
Awesome, i tried to make it and i succeeded
what will happen to this dough if my oven is at a temp of 350C or 400C will the pizza base come out dry, will i be able to fold a slice, or will it be like a cracker. Can this dough only be cooked at the lower temp, mentioned in the post.
Thank You
Hi Brian,
The dough won’t likely fold like a cracker,but it depends how long you keep it in, of course. We suggest to stick to 350 degrees, at least, and test the crust until it’s cooked as you prefer it! Enjoy!
Hello,
Quick question there: Is the real authentic Italian pizza’s dough not only made from flour, salt, yeast and water? Thanks
Hi Simon,
Yes that is perhaps the most common way to make it, but there are many ways to cook everything including real authentic dishes, and many Italian cooks add a spoon or two of sugar as well. Try both out for yourself and see which you prefer!
Absolutely love the recipe! I love Italian pizza but when it comes to cooking… me and my wife both, well, we suck! There’s an online cooking game series called Papas Games http://papasgames.us/, which is for kids, super easy and simple, and guess what i can’t even bake a pizza in those games, sigh… Still though i’d like to learn and experiment with this recipe and even master it at some point. The recipe is very well written, which is something really rare these days, every website I go to they just copy/paste worthless recipes, this is different though, even better than most youtube video recipes. Thanks for sharing. definitely going to give it a try.
Excellently laid out recipe. I will definitely try this. I have questions on steps 10 and 14.
1. Step 10 – Did you mean divide the dough into 4 equal portions instead of half because you mentioned that this recipe makes 4 12″ pizzas
2. Step 14 – Do we have to bake it for 10 mins with just the dough and the tomato topping (if required) before even we spread the cheese? Because, I am new to making Pizzas and I never came across such a thing. So, really curious to try this. What is the difference between Loading everything on the pizza dough (sauce, cheese, vegetables, spices) and baking vs. spreading the cheese after 10 mins of baking the dough?
Hi Sri,
Put simply, yes and yes. It’s best to bake the crust first without the toppings to ensure that the water of the cheese and toppings doesn’t make the crust soggy. Try it, we’re sure you’ll like it! 🙂
I made this pizza on one of your tours 2 years and would love to try to replicate it. I I wanted to make the dough the night before, is it ok to let it rise overnight? Should I refrigerate it if I do? If not, do you have any suggestions?
Hi Nicole,
Yes it should be fine to prepare the night before. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator. Take it out fridge and bring to room temperature before stretching it out. Buon appetito!
Just returned from Italy 2 weeks ago and the pizza was fantastic! Wanted to attempt to replicate it and tried your recipe today. It is absolutely delicious and very close to what we enjoyed in your country. My only question is about when to split the dough and freeze- before it rises 5 hours; or after? I was extremely happy to find your recipe and directions! We will enjoy this from now on. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you! Allow the dough to rise for five hours, then take it out and knead it some more to get out any air bubbles. After, divide the dough in half and let it rest for a few minutes before rolling each section into a 12-inch disc. Buon appetito!
I’ve only ever made bread dough in a mixing bowl before. I tried the “volcano” method here, and well…. the volcano erupted, and the ‘lava’ went everywhere! It started off as a slow leak through the sides, so luckily I had time to grab a bowl and catch most of it, but the rest went into my lap and on the floor! No problem though, because A) I’m a messy cook anyways, and B) the pizza came out great!
Hi! I’m going to try this one out tonight with my family 🙂 Hopefully they will enjoy!
My compliments to the chef!
I halved this recipe because I live alone. Halved again to freeze half for later. What a lovely dough to work with! Delicious too, perfect texture and I thought the sugar and salt balanced very well in the final yummy pizza. I will always use this recipe in the future, Thank you for sharing! Shelly
Great blog. I’ve linked this to our paragraph about pizzas. I think everyone should read it.
pour almost all the flour? Its either all flour or directed amount.
and it doesn’t say to mix the dry ingredients together, I just have to assume it.
Over the years, decades I should say, our taste changes. I once didn’t like thin crusted, real Italian style pizza, but I came to love it a few years ago. Thing is, there is only ONE place anywhere near where I live that has the correct ingredients and dough to make a a Real Italian style piza. That being Belachino’s in Cookeville, tn. The issue is that they “Americanize” it most of the time by under cooking it. The little blackness around the edges and spots of black under the crust do NOT mean it’s nearly burnt: they mean it is PERFECTLY cooked ITALIAN STYLE and they add SO much flavor, SO much!
Was I supposed to let the yeast sit for five minutes in order for it to bubble and become somewhat froth like before I mixed it?
I made it without letting it sit first and it is not as elastic as I thought and was pretty tough to mix all together. It is rising now, these are just my concerns since this was my first time ever making pizza dough.
Hi Holly,
Yes, it’s best to let the yeast rest in the water for a bit before making. Luckily, trying again means another pizza night!
I want to try this recipe but I don’t want to make that much. We only need it for 2-4 people. How would you suggest downsizing the recipe?
Hi Bonnie,
In Italy, each person gets their own personal (large) pizza and even finishes it all! That’s because it is much lighter and easier to digest than an American-style pizza, with fresher ingredients. This recipe is for four pizzas, so follow it to serve four people. Otherwise, you can try to halve the recipe – anything else might change the outcome too much. Buon appetito!
If I use dried yeast instead of fresh, should I still follow your instructions on how to activate it, or should I activate it as instructed on the back of the packet of yeast?
Hi Daisy,
Follow the instructions on the packet of yeast. Buon appetito!
Italy pizza is yummy in taste and after seeing your recipe to make Italian pizza water comes in my mouth as you have well explained each step well and very easily to make pizza with base is difficult to make but after looking at this recipe everything is going to cleared.
HI ,WALKS OF ITALY, I LIVE IN SPRING HILL,FLORIDA ON THE WEST COAST 45 MIN. NORTH OF TAMPA FLORIDA..A FEW YEARS AGO 2 ITALIAN CHEFS CAME TO OUR TOWN FROM NAPLES .OPENED AN ITALIAN RESTURANT AND NAMED IT ‘ CHEFTS OF NAPLES”.THIS ONE WAS SO GREAT THAT THEY OPENED 2 MORE IN DIFFERENT TOWNS.THEY MAKE ITALIAN DISCHS PLUS PIZZA, THE PIZZA IS MADE IN A 2 DOOR GAS OVEN LINED WITH STONE THIS IS THE ONLY PIZZA RESTURANT THAT I ORDER PIZZA FROM..THEIR ARE MANY PIZZA PLACES ALL OVER FLORIDA, BUT NONE CAN COMPARE ,WITH THE” CHEFS OF NAPLES” I WATCHED AS THEY MAKE A PIZZA THEY NEVER USE OLIVE OIL I ASKED WHERE IS THE OLIVE OIL I WAS TOLD THEY MIX IT IN THE TOMATO SAUCE ( OR GRAVY AS SOME PEOPLE CALL IT) .IS THIS OK
Hi Robert,
Yes, we always mix a bit of olive oil into the tomato sauce. Buon appetito!
After many failed attempts with pizza dough…… This recipe was perfect!!!! I’m very picky when it comes to pizza, and this is now my go to recipe! Thank you so much!!!
I made this tonight and rolled the dough very thin but I found the edge of the crust too crunchy and hard. Should I have let the dough rise a bit before laying on the toppings?
Hi Lynne,
If you want all of the dough to be crispy the same amount try cooking it with just some sauce for a bit, then add on the toppings!
Absolutely love this pizza recipe. It’s the only one I use. I make it every Friday night, my husband and kids love it. I’ve also done it for other members of the family and they can’t believe how amazing and authentic the pizzas turn out
I’ve been using a shop bought pizza sauce but would love to make my own.
Oh my heavens. I cannot believe I found this site and this recipe. You have made my day. I too lived in Italy with so many fond memories. I was a child when my father took a job with Pirelli. Then there were the Detroit days and a lot of waiting in line at Buddy’s for the best pizza ever. You have sparked a lot of interest for me. Thank you.
I love colorful recipes indeed, and this pizza is absolutely flavorful!
Love this so good, our family really enjoyed it… saved it to one of my pins for pizza night! thanks!
Hi… I live in South Africa and we love pizzas… been to Italy on numerous occasions. Please advise on flour… we only get white bread flour or cake flour in SA… which one will be better for the pizza dough?
Hi Sandra,
White bread flour should be fine!
I want to make this the night before. Are you letting it “rise/proof” overnight or do you let it rise the recommended 5 hours, then pound it down to get out the air bubbles, and then cover and let it “rest” overnight? I don’t want do something wrong here and have it over-rise and lose flavor/consistency. At any point should I refrigerate? I wouldn’t be eating it right away in the morning, so is there a point in time where it has rested or Proofed for too long? Same question would go for when in the process you should freeze it.