Thin-Crust Neapolitan Pizza
crispy thin crust pizza with tomato sauce and mozzarella
Thin-Crust Neapolitan Pizza dough
I've explained in detail the strong points of the thin-crust dough in previous posts — it's not a 30-minute dough that you mix, proof for 10 minutes, and send to the oven.If we do that, we won't give the dough a chance to form the gluten connections it needs to reach the right flexibility, and we'll end up with a dense crust that resembles a cracker more than bread.
Thin-Crust Neapolitan Pizza belongs to the bread family, and as such it deserves the patience we give our breads. Otherwise it'll have a quick-bread texture like Naan or pancakes — and we don't want that. We want our pizza airy, full of bubbles, and light.
The sauce
I like thick-texture tomato sauce or even scattered canned tomatoes for the thin-crust pizza. I brush it with a thin layer of sauce — we can't risk a heavy sauce making the dough soggy, so a little sauce goes a long way toward keeping the pizza super crispy. Sometimes I don't use sauce at all, making it "Italian style" — just add the mozzarella and your favorite topping and let the dough take center stage.Baking time
To get the best crust, we need high heat. We can't reach 500°c/1000°F in a home oven — those temperatures are only achievable in dedicated wood-fired or gas professional ovens, and that's what produces the best results. But there are ways for home bakers to adapt. First thing: set your oven to its highest setting, usually 250°c/500°F, and keep it there for at least 30 minutes. To get a crispy, slightly charred crust, the dough needs to come into direct contact with heat. The best way is to put a baking stone in the oven and leave it there for 30–60 minutes to heat up properly. If you don't have a baking stone, slide the baking pan onto the bottom of the oven — not the bottom rack, but actually on the oven floor, right on the heating element. Bake there for about 5 minutes, then lift the pan up to the middle rack and keep baking. That's the best you can do without a baking stone, and it works really well.Method
- 1
opening the dough· 5 minutes
Preheat the oven to 250°c/500°F. Flour the counter and place your dough on it. With the rolling pin, flatten the dough up to 2-inch-thick, grab the dough with your hands and continue opening it stretching it gently until it reaches the desired size. Move the dough into the baking pan.
- 2
Add tomato sauce and topping· 5 minutes
Add the tomato sauce in a thin layer and spread. Cut mozzarella into 1 inch pieces and place on the pizza, spread parmesan cheese and season with the dry oregano.
- 3
Bake and serve· 20 minutes
Place the pizza on a baking stone if available, if not place the baking pan on the bottom of the oven. Bake on the bottom for 5 minutes and lift the baking pan into the lowest rack for 10 more minutes. Take out the pizza and cool for 5 minutes Spread arugula (or any other topping), cut into slices and serve.
Jaron Kimhi
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
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