This is what a pizza in Naples looks like
From our editorial team
It looks simple. Tomato, mozzarella, a few basil leaves. Nothing more. A global success made in Napoli.
What distinguishes the original Neapolitan pizza from what is often sold as „Italian“ in this country is not a detail. It is a whole system of rules, craftsmanship and attitude to ingredients. The most important principles.
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1. the dough: four ingredients, nothing else
A real Pizza Napoletana consists of exactly four ingredients: Wheat flour, water, salt, yeast. No oil. No sugar.
The dough rests for a long time - often 24 hours or more. This makes it elastic, easily digestible and develops a fine flavour. It is moulded exclusively by hand. No rolling pin, no machine. The edges remain airy, while the dough remains thin and soft on the inside. The result: not a crispy biscuit base, but a flexible, almost silky centre that bends slightly when lifted.
2. the oven: 485 degrees and 90 seconds
A Neapolitan pizza is baked in a wood-fired oven at around 450 to 485 degrees. The baking time is around 60 to 90 seconds. This extreme heat creates the typical leopard look on the crust - dark bubbles created by the direct flame. The edges are slightly crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.
In conventional electric ovens at 250 degrees, baking takes considerably longer. This completely changes the texture and moisture.
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3. the ingredients: Reduced, but precise
Traditionally, there are only two officially recognised variants:
- Pizza Marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano, olive oil)
- Pizza Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, basil, olive oil)
The tomatoes ideally come from Campania, often San Marzano tomatoes. The mozzarella is either Fior di Latte or Mozzarella di Bufala. The tomato sauce is not overcooked, but served raw. No mixed herbs, no sugar, no spices. The topping is never overloaded. You should taste the dough.
4. the texture: best folded
A real Neapolitan pizza is traditionally not eaten with a knife and fork, but directly with the hands - often folded „a portafoglio“ (like a wallet). The base is soft and juicy, not stiff and crispy. Many people outside Naples expect „crunch“. In Naples, you expect elasticity.
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5. the rules: Officially protected
Pizza Napoletana is not a marketing term. It is protected as a „Traditional Speciality Guaranteed“ (TSG) in the EU. There are clear specifications:
- Dough recipe
- Fermentation time
- Diameter
- Edge height
- Baking temperature
Even the distance between the topping and the crust is defined. Those who adhere to these rules can officially call themselves „Vera Pizza Napoletana“.
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6 The attitude to life: fast, hot, direct
In Naples, pizza is not celebrated like a tasting menu. It arrives quickly, is eaten hot, costs comparatively little and is an everyday dish. No food design, no frills. Just dough, fire, tomatoes - and precision.
