Description
The Caputo Neapolitan Pizza – Metodo Direto recipe brings the authentic taste and texture of traditional Neapolitan pizza dough to your kitchen. Using simple, high-quality ingredients and a direct mixing method, this recipe yields a tender, airy crust with a slight chewiness and beautifully blistered edges. Perfect for artisan pizza lovers seeking genuine Italian flavors and a versatile base for classic or creative toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 500g Caputo ’00’ Flour
- 325ml Lukewarm Water (95-100°F)
- 3g Fresh Yeast
- 10g Sea Salt
- Optional: 10ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Prepare Your Ingredients: Measure out Caputo flour, fresh yeast, sea salt, and lukewarm water carefully. Ensure your yeast is fresh and active to guarantee a beautiful rise.
- Mix the Dough: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Gradually add the flour and sea salt, mixing thoroughly until all flour is hydrated and a sticky but uniform dough ball forms.
- Knead the Dough: Turn the dough onto a clean surface and knead vigorously for 10-15 minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
- First Rise: Place the dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature for about 2 hours until it doubles in size.
- Shape the Dough: Divide the risen dough into individual portions of about 200-250 grams each. Shape each into tight, smooth balls and cover again to rest for 30-60 minutes.
- Stretch and Top: Carefully stretch a dough ball by hand into a 10-12 inch round, leaving a slightly thicker rim. Add your favorite toppings such as tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Bake: Cook the pizza in a blazing hot pizza oven or preheated home oven at 500°F or higher, on a pizza stone or steel, for 60-90 seconds, or 2-3 minutes on a grill, until edges are blistered and cheese is bubbling.
Notes
- Always weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale for accuracy and consistency.
- Use water between 95-100°F to activate yeast without killing it.
- Handle dough gently when shaping to avoid pressing out air bubbles that create texture.
- Preheat your oven or pizza stone thoroughly to ensure a crisp exterior and chewy interior.
- Longer fermentation (up to 72 hours in fridge) can enhance flavor and digestibility.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1-3 minutes per pizza
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pizza (approx. 200g dough base)
- Calories: Approx. 400 kcal
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 80g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Neapolitan pizza, Caputo flour, Metodo Direto, pizza dough recipe, Italian pizza, slow fermentation, artisan pizza