Neapolitan-Style Sourdough Pizza Dough
If you've ever wanted to make authentic Neapolitan-style pizza at home with your starter, this Neapolitan-style sourdough pizza dough is the recipe to try! Italians sure know how to make their pizzas, and I made it my mission to recreate their thin crust and soft, airy edges. Since the crust itself is so good, you can be really basic with its toppings, and the pizza will be great, just like you'd expect from any great pizzeria.
Neapolitan pizza originated in Naples, Italy, where simple ingredients and high-heat baking create one of the world's most iconic styles of pizza. While home ovens (including mine!) can't quite reach the temperatures of traditional wood-fired ovens, I've found that a long sourdough fermentation helps develop the same incredible flavor and texture!
If you're already comfortable baking sourdough bread, you'll love seeing those same fermentation techniques transformed into a great pizza dough. The only thing with this pizza is you have to think ahead to make the dough, but other than that, it's a breezy recipe! Just like my sourdough semolina pizza dough, or even simpler sourdough discard skillet pizza.
Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation: 4 hours
- Final Proof (Cold Fermentation): 48 hours (recommended)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: Approximately 51-53 hours
- Servings: 4-6 (2 medium-large pizzas)
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Baking Method: Baking steel, pizza stone, or preheated baking sheet
- Best For: Authentic homemade Neapolitan-style pizza with a light, airy crust
Jump to:
- Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Neapolitan-Style Sourdough Pizza Dough
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Neapolitan-Style Sourdough Pizza Dough
- Other Sourdough Recipes
- Neapolitan-Style Sourdough Pizza Dough
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Family Dinner Recipes You'll Love
- Sourdough Semolina Pizza Dough (Crispy, Chewy, and Full of Flavor)
- Traditional Ričet (Barley and Bean Stew with Smoked Meat)
- Pork and Sauerkraut Goulash (Segedin)
Important Ingredients
- Manitoba Flour Its high protein content creates a strong gluten structure, perfect for achieving a chewy, airy crust. If you're US based, any strong bread flour will do!
- Active Sourdough Starter provides natural fermentation and exceptional flavor. It also tenderizes the dough in the best way!
- Olive Oil adds softness that makes the dough easier to handle.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Substitute Manitoba flour with any bread flour if you don't have access to manitoba flour (maybe that's just an European thing? Let me know in the comments!
- Add a small amount of whole wheat flour (up to 10%) for a more rustic pizza. I wouldn't go over 10% since the nature of the recipe will become different then, and you might need slightly different instructions.
- Top with classic Margherita ingredients or experiment with roasted vegetables, cured meats, mushrooms, or spicy salami.
- For a crispier crust, bake on a preheated baking steel instead of a baking sheet (although 90% of the time, I'm baking on a baking sheet and still get great results!).
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How to Make Neapolitan-Style Sourdough Pizza Dough
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the flour, sourdough starter, and 300 g water until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes (Image 1).
Step 2: Add the salt, olive oil, and the remaining 30 g water. Pour the water in gradually while mixing, allowing the dough to absorb it little by little until it becomes smooth and elastic. The dough will be quite wet and sticky at this stage (Image 2). Don't worry. The stretch and folds and fermentation will strengthen it considerably.
Step 3: Over the next 2 hours, perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart (Image 3). A dough scraper can help release the dough from the bowl. Wetting your hands before handling the dough will make the process easier.
Step 4: After the final set of folds, cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for another 1 to 2 hours, or until it shows signs of fermentation and has become noticeably puffier (Image 4).
Step 5: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 2 equal portions (Image 5). Shape each portion into a tight dough ball.
Step 6: Lightly oil two containers or bowls. Place one dough ball into each container, cover, and refrigerate until baking day. For the best flavor and texture, refrigerate for about 48 hours (Image 6).
At least 2 hours before baking, remove the dough balls from the refrigerator and allow them to come almost to room temperature (I find that to be the sweet spot; colder dough is hard to shape, but room temperature dough can be tricky. However, both are possible to work with if you're in a pinch!
Preheat your oven with a baking steel, baking stone, or inverted baking sheet inside to 250°C (480°F) or the highest temperature your oven can reach.
Step 9: Take the dough out of the bowl, and try to stretch it a bit before putting it down onto a well-floured piece of parchment paper or a pizza peel (Image 9) (see attached video!). Using your fingertips, stretch and press around the edge of the dough, leaving about 2 cm (¾ inch) untouched to create a raised crust. Stretch the center of the dough as thinly as possible while keeping the outer rim intact.
Step 10: Add your toppings, keeping sauce and toppings away from the edge so the crust can rise properly (Image 10). Avoid overloading the pizza, as too much topping can weigh down the dough.
Transfer the pizza onto the preheated baking surface and bake from 6-12 minutes, depending on what's the temperature you're about to bake at, or until the crust is puffed and deeply golden. Adjust the baking time as needed for your oven.
Hint: be gentle with this dough. Try to preserve as much air in the dough as possible when shaping it. Instead of using a rolling pin, handle your dough between your hands first, then press outward from the center with your fingertips, leaving a 1-inch border untouched (see the video bellow how I handle it!).
Baking Schedule
Day 1
- Mix the dough.
- Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds over 2 hours.
- Finish bulk fermentation until the dough becomes puffy.
- Divide into dough balls and refrigerate.
Day 3 (About 48 Hours Later)
- Remove dough from the refrigerator 2 hours before baking.
- Preheat the oven with a baking stone or steel.
- Shape, top, and bake.
💭Crucial Success Tips
Don't add extra flour just because the dough feels sticky after mixing. It will become smoother and stronger with each set of stretch and folds. This is a very "wet" dough at the beginning, but if your starter is healthy and you give the dough just enough handling, it will slowly come together and form an elastic, smooth dough that'll be possible to handle - I won't say easy, because it's still quite wet, but totally doable!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. While Manitoba flour is my first choice because of its high protein content, a strong bread flour with at least 13% protein works well too.
This is a high-hydration dough, so it's completely normal for it to feel sticky after mixing. Avoid adding extra flour unless absolutely necessary. As you perform the stretch and folds and the dough ferments, the gluten develops and the dough becomes much smoother and easier to handle.
Yes, you can. The dough will still make delicious pizza after a 24-hour cold fermentation. However, I recommend about 48 hours whenever possible. The extra time develops more flavor, improves extensibility, and creates a lighter, airier crust.
How To Store Neapolitan-Style Sourdough Pizza Dough
One of the best things about this recipe is that the dough can be made well in advance.
After shaping, store the dough balls in lightly oiled, covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavor will continue to develop during this time, and the dough often becomes even easier to stretch.
For longer storage, freeze each dough ball in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours before shaping.
If you have leftover baked pizza, refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat it on a hot skillet, in the oven, or in an air fryer to bring back the crisp crust.
Other Sourdough Recipes
- Neapolitan-Style Sourdough Pizza Dough
- Italian Semolina Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Picnic Rolls (Pull-Apart Bread Rolls)
- Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread (The Simplest Version)
If you tried these Neapolitan-Style Sourdough Pizza Dough or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Neapolitan-Style Sourdough Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 400 g flour Manitoba
- 300 g water + 30 g additional water for later
- 80 g active sourdough starter
- 9 g salt
- 8 g olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sourdough starter, and 300 g water until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Add the salt, olive oil, and the remaining 30 g water. Pour the water in gradually while mixing, allowing the dough to absorb it little by little until it becomes smooth and elastic. The dough will be quite wet and sticky at this stage. Don't worry. The stretch and folds and fermentation will strengthen it considerably.
- Over the next 2 hours, perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. A dough scraper can help release the dough from the bowl. Wetting your hands before handling the dough will make the process easier.
- After the final set of folds, cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for another 1 to 2 hours, or until it shows signs of fermentation and has become noticeably puffier.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into a tight dough ball.
- Lightly oil two containers or bowls. Place one dough ball into each container, cover, and refrigerate until baking day. For the best flavor and texture, refrigerate for about 48 hours.At least 2 hours before baking, remove the dough balls from the refrigerator and allow them to come almost to room temperature (I find that to be the sweet spot; colder dough is hard to shape, but room temperature dough can be tricky. However, both are possible to work with if you're in a pinch!Preheat your oven with a baking steel, baking stone, or inverted baking sheet inside to 250°C (480°F) or the highest temperature your oven can reach.
- Take the dough out of the bowl, and try to stretch it a bit before putting it down onto a well-floured piece of parchment paper or a pizza peel (see attached video!). Using your fingertips, stretch and press around the edge of the dough, leaving about 2 cm (¾ inch) untouched to create a raised crust. Stretch the center of the dough as thinly as possible while keeping the outer rim intact.
- Add your toppings, keeping sauce and toppings away from the edge so the crust can rise properly. Avoid overloading the pizza, as too much topping can weigh down the dough. Transfer the pizza onto the preheated baking surface and bake from 6-12 minutes, depending on what's the temperature you're about to bake at, or until the crust is puffed and deeply golden. Adjust the baking time as needed for your oven.
Notes
- This is a high-hydration dough, so it can feel sticky and challenging to handle. The reward is an exceptionally light, airy crust with large bubbles.
- The dough is at its best after about 48 hours of cold fermentation. For example, mix on Friday and bake on Sunday.
- Pizza bakes best at the highest temperature possible for the shortest amount of time. Longer bakes tend to dry out the crust.
- The shaped dough balls can stay in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days. Longer fermentation will develop more flavor and make the dough easier to stretch.
