De beste pizza die je ooit thuis maakt

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Let me be honest. I made pizza for years with packets of yeast, supermarket flour and sauce from a jar. The result was fine. But fine isn't good enough once you've been to Naples.

A few years ago I took a pizza course in Naples. Not at a tourist restaurant with an English menu, but with a real pizzaiolo who treats his dough the way others treat their children. With patience, with feeling, with respect. That afternoon changed my view of pizza forever.

"Neapolitan pizza isn't a meal. It's a philosophy."

The base is thin in the middle, with a puffed rim that's airy inside and slightly charred on the outside. The sauce is raw, simple and bold in flavour. The mozzarella melts but doesn't crisp. And the whole thing goes into an oven as hot as possible for as short as possible.

At home you can never quite match the heat of a traditional wood oven, but you can get jolly close. Below I'm giving you two variants of the same dough. Both with just four ingredients, because a real Neapolitan pizza doesn't need more.

Variant 1, same day (4 to 6 hours)

Neapolitan pizza dough, quick variant

For 4 pizzas of approximately 30cm

Ingredients

Tipo 00 flour500 g
Lukewarm water (approx. 20°C)325 ml
Fresh yeast (or 1g dried yeast)3 g
Fine sea salt10 g

Method

1 Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and leave for 5 minutes.

2 Add the flour and mix to a rough dough. Add the salt at the edge of the flour, never directly on the yeast. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

3 Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours until doubled.

4 Divide into 4 tight balls of approximately 200g, cover and rest for a further 30 minutes.

5 Heat the oven to maximum with a baking tray or pizza stone at the bottom. Let it heat for at least 30 minutes.

6 Shape each ball with your fingertips from the centre outwards to a round of approximately 30cm. A rolling pin is a mortal sin and no Neapolitan pizzaiolo will ever forgive you for using one. It presses all the air out of the dough, and with it all the lightness and flavour.

7 Top and bake for 6 to 8 minutes until the rim is puffed and lightly charred.

Variant 2, 48-hour cold prove

This is the variant that rewards your patience. Less yeast, more time, and a flavour you won't forget. Start 48 hours in advance.

Neapolitan pizza dough, 48-hour cold prove

For 4 pizzas of approximately 30cm

Ingredients

Tipo 00 flour500 g
Cold water (from the fridge)325 ml
Dried yeast0,5 g
Fine sea salt12 g

Method

1 Dissolve the yeast in the cold water. Add the flour and mix to a rough dough. Add the salt and mix well. Cover and rest for 30 minutes without kneading.

2 Do 3 sets of stretch and fold with 30 minutes rest in between: pick the dough up at one side, stretch it upwards and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl a quarter and repeat 8 times.

3 After the final stretch and fold, divide into 4 tight balls of approximately 200g. Place them separately in lightly oiled sealed containers and refrigerate for 48 hours.

4 Remove the balls from the fridge 2 hours before baking and bring to room temperature.

5 Heat the oven to maximum with a baking tray or pizza stone at the bottom. Let it heat for at least 45 minutes.

6 Shape each ball with your fingertips, never a rolling pin. This dough is incredibly supple after 48 hours and stretches beautifully. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.

A few more tips

Tipo 00 flour is essentieel. Te vinden bij Italiaanse delicatessenwinkels of online. Gewone patentbloem werkt ook maar geeft een minder luchtig resultaat. Voor de saus: pureer een blikje San Marzano tomaten grof met je handen, voeg zout en een scheutje olijfolie toe en gebruik hem rauw. Niet koken. Dat is het geheim. Beleg de pizza minimaal. Een echte Napolitaanse pizza heeft saus, mozzarella en basilicum. Meer is minder.

And should you ever find yourself in Naples, go to a proper pizzeria in the Quartieri Spagnoli. No English menu, plastic chairs, long wait. You'll understand why I keep going back.

The best pizza you'll ever make at home

Variant 1, same day (4 to 6 hours)

Neapolitan pizza dough, quick variant

Ingredients

Method

Variant 2, 48-hour cold prove

Neapolitan pizza dough, 48-hour cold prove

Ingredients

Method

A few more tips