the dough
Neapolitan pizza: what the dough and the oven are meant to do
The rules behind the pizza of the Bay of Naples, and why shaping it by hand matters.
Save your place at the farm table ↗The traditional recipe in brief
| Element | The tradition |
|---|---|
| Dough | Wheat flour, yeast, salt and water; no fat, no sugar |
| Shaping | By hand, without a rolling pin or machine |
| Edges | A soft, thin base with high edges |
| Baking | 60 to 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven at about 485 °C |
A protected tradition
Neapolitan pizza has European Union recognition as a traditional speciality guaranteed product, and the art of the Neapolitan pizza maker is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Sorrento lies on the same bay as Naples, so the pizza around you belongs to that tradition.
The dough
The traditional dough contains wheat flour, natural or brewer's yeast, salt and water, and nothing else: it is fat-free and sugar-free. It is kneaded by hand or in a slow mixer, which is why a class built around kneading and shaping feels so close to how the pizza is meant to be made.
Shaped by hand
After the dough has risen it is formed by hand, with no rolling pin or machine, and may be no more than a quarter of a centimetre in height. Stretching and tossing the dough in a lesson is not showing off: it is the method.
The oven
The benchmark bake is 60 to 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven at around 485 °C. The farm keeps a wood oven in its covered room for bad weather, so fire is never far from the lesson.
The toppings
The traditional toppings are San Marzano or Vesuvian piennolo tomatoes with mozzarella di bufala campana or fior di latte di Agerola. The farm's own recipe is the family's business, and what goes on your pizza may differ from the textbook, but this is the standard you are learning towards.
What to take from it
Ask the hosts how long their dough rests and how hot their oven runs; those two answers travel home with you.