Neapolitan Style Pizza… ala Lynnie

Neapolitan Style Pizza… ala Lynnie

After visiting Italy, I became obsessed with classic Italian pizza! Crispy, light crust with fresh toppings! Here’s an easy version you can make at home in your own oven…Maybe for a fun family cooking night! ENJOY!!

Neapolitan Style Pizza… ala Lynnie

Makes 2 12-inch pizzas… for two!

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 package dry yeast, ~ 1 ½ teaspoons
¾ cup water, ~ 110 – 115 degrees F
2 – 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Semolina flour for kneading, dusting

Sauce:

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained well
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Couple grinds fresh black pepper
Optional: 1-2 cloves fresh minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried basil

Toppings:

1-pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
¼ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 – 15 Fresh basil leaves
Other toppings: Sliced Italian sausage, pepperoni, vegetables

Equipment needed:

Standup mixer with bowl & dough hook
Cutting board & chef knife
Strainer
Measuring spoons
Dry measuring cups
Rubber spatula
Half sheet pan
Plastic wrap
Small mixing bowl
Pizza stone
Pizza peel

What’s your favorite pizza toppings? I never really appreciated a cheese pizza until I had a Margherita Pizza in Italy! American pizzas often have a thicker crust and are laden with so much cheese and toppings compared to the Italian pie. Simpler food is often so tasty and light! No wonder when we were served a whole pizza in Italy, we were able to eat it all. Tender, thin, crisp crust with fresh tomato sauce… Delicious! Hopefully you will find my recipe here the perfect pie for your dinner… double it for larger groups too!

To begin… we make the crust! It takes about 2 hours to rise, so plan ahead…

1) In a standup mixer, place warm water. I microwave mine for ~ 20-25 seconds & check it with a ready read thermometer. (Water should the perfect temperature for yeast activation.) Sprinkle salt, sugar and yeast on top and give it a gentle stir. Allow to set for 5 minutes or foamy.

2) Add ½ cup of the flour and stir to blend well. Continue adding flour, ~1/2 cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula until dough is no longer sticky. Knead with dough hook at medium speed for 8-10 minutes. Add a little flour until dough pulls away from bowl as it kneads & forms a uniform ball.

3) Remove dough from bowl and place on a floured surface. Sprinkle with a little additional flour and form into a ball. Cut ball in half and set dough balls on a greased sheet pan. Spray or drizzle with a little olive oil and gently cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled, ~ 1 ½ - 2 hours. (I use the top of my stove with the oven set ~ 200 F.)

** If making a double batch of dough or only one pizza and saving the dough for later… place greased dough in a plastic bag and refrigerate for later use.

Sauce time!

1) While the pizza dough is rising, empty the can of tomatoes into a strainer over a bowl to drain. NO need to toss the liquid… I save it for soup or next time I make pasta sauce.

2) After most of the liquid has drained, place tomatoes in a small mixing bowl with salt, pepper & oil. I prefer a sauce with a bit more flavor, so I also add fresh minced garlic and a little basil. Allow sauce to set while dough rises to meld flavors.

3) Prepare remaining toppings and slice fresh mozzarella cheese.

1) Remove one round of dough to a lightly floured surface and dust top with flour. Dough may be a bit sticky and need a bit of pressing into the flour before shaping.

2) Using your hands, shape dough into a disk about 12 inches in diameter or the size of a dinner plate. I created a fun star shape for the holidays too! Move to a pizza peel dusted with semolina or additional flour. Occasionally, I use fine cornmeal if I don’t have semolina flour.

Time to assemble your pizza pie!

1) Place half of the sauce on the crust and spread to cover… leaving about 1-inch around edges. If making a Margherita style pizza, place ½ of sliced rounds of cheese on top and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. If adding other toppings, place them sparingly on sauce and add cheese. I usually add toppings in between cheese rounds for added visual meal appeal. Drizzle each pizza and crust with olive oil.

2) Slide pizza carefully off of peel onto hot pizza stone in oven to maintain round shape. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until cheese and crust are golden and bubbly.

1) Carefully remove pizza with peel and move to a flat surface. Time to make another pizza!!

2) Sprinkle with fresh basil… or use a bit of dried basil too! EAT while still hot!! I always have extra Parm & red pepper flakes to sprinkle on too… ENJOY!!