While in Naples, we enjoyed eating pizzas at several restaurants & took a Neapolitan pizza cooking class.

We ate at the oldest pizzeria in the world: Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba.

It opened in 1738 & re-established itself as a pizzeria in 1830.

It seemed like Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba had a hundred or more pizzas on their menu.

Here are the two we ate:

Pizza Margherita is considered to be the classic Neapolitan pizza.

It was invented in 1889 at Pizzeria Brandi.

At the restaurant, there is a historic marker commemorating Pizza Margherita’s 100 year anniversary.

We made a reservation to eat here; but, when we showed up, we were told they had some unforeseen issues with local authorities & did not know when they would be able to reopen.

Since we were in Naples we joked that it probably had something to do with the Mafia.

Unfortunately, based on our schedule, we were not able to return to eat there.

However, we did eat at Pizzeria Antonio Sorbillo which was absolutely fabulously delicious!

We also took a pizza making class at the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) to become a certified Neapolitan Pizza Maker for One Day.

AVPN verifies & certifies restaurants around the world that make true Neapolitan pizza using traditional ingredients & methods.

Not only did we get our 1 day Neapolitan Pizza Maker certification; but, we got to eat what we made!

Very Important Note: To make Neapolitan pizzas, you must have a pizza oven that can be heated to 800° F.

Pizzas cooked in class were only in the oven for 1.5 minutes & were rotated twice in the oven to ensure equal heating

We don’t have an 800° F pizza oven at home; but, the class was super fun, delicious, & we learned some techniques that should improve our dough making & pizza cooking technique.

If you’re interested, then listed below is the recipe,  instructions, & some photos showing how to make Pizza Marinara & Pizza Margherita.

Pizza Dough Ingredients & Preparation

There are only 4 ea. ingredients for the pizza dough:

1. Water
2. Salt
3. Flour
4. Yeast

To start, add half liter room temperature water into mixing bowl.
(can also use cold water; but, never use hot water)

Add 25 grams salt to the water.

Next add Type 0 flour.
100 grams or 3 handfuls

(Type 00 flour is for pastry, not for pizza; also, do not use whole wheat flour)

Mix water & salt with one hand to mix it to a pancake batter- like consistency.

Add 1 gram yeast.
Use dry active yeast
Never add yeast after adding salt
Yeast is a mold & salt kills it

Add 750 grams flour into the bowl.

Take 20 minutes to knead dough by hand.

Use one hand to lift & squash the solution to work the mixture into a dough.

Mix with one hand & use the  other hand to rotate the bowl while kneading the dough to capture all the flour.

After 10 minutes, switch the mixing motion to folding the dough & then punching it.

Ensure there are no lumps in the dough.

Put dough on cooking surface & shape it into a tight ball.

At this point, the dough will still be slightly sticky.

Place the mixing bowl over the dough ball & let it sit for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove the lid & you will see the dough has flattened itself into more of a disc- like shape.

Using fingers along the side, form the dough into rectangle

Then, lift the dough from its middle leaving the ends falling towards the level surface

Then, fold the dough in half.

Repeat this lifting & folding action a couple times, then form the dough into a ball again.

Ball surface should be smooth with no lines.

Next, allow the dough to leaven for 2 hours by placing
a damp cloth over it to prevent the dough from hardening due to water evaporating from it.

After 2 hours, remove the damp cloth from the dough.

Roll out the dough until it is about a forearm in length ensuring a consistent diameter.

Place your hands at four fingers in width on the end of the dough roll & slice the dough into pieces in that thickness.

Next, form the dough pieces into balls using your thumb & fore finger.

Put all the dough balls into a rising box ensuring they are well spaced in it.

Use lid to cover rising box & let rest for at least 6 hours.
(Maximum rest time 24 hours)

After sufficient rest time, remove a dough ball from the rising box.

Put dough ball on the cooking surface & form it  into a rectangle.

Then, using both hands, start pressing the dough gently at first with your fingers starting at the end closest you your body & pressing towards the other end.

This procedure will move the air from the dough’s center towards the edges.

However, don’t press the dough all the way to the far edge; stop pressing before the edge otherwise air will come out of the dough completely which prevents the crust from rising.

Once completing a pressing pass, rotate the dough 90 degrees (one quarter turn).

After rotating the dough, repeat pressing the dough; but, with more pressure.
Once again, do not press all the way to the edge.

Stop pressing the dough once it has spread large enough so that you can place both your hands palms down on the dough & they fit.

Forming the Pizza:

1. Place right hand palm down on the dough & with left hand, pull/stretch the left edge out at a 90 degree angle & hold.

2. Lift & place the right hand with palm up next to the dough’s right side.

3. With left hand, toss dough over right hand, wrist, & forearm ensuring dough is fully open & not folded.

4. Use right hand to toss/slap the dough back back to the left on to the cooking surface.

5. Rotate the dough 90 degrees (one quarter turn).

Repeat Steps 1- 5 in above Forming the Pizza section until the dough is somewhat formed.

Dough will not necessarily be in a perfectly round shape yet.

It may be more rectangular & that’s OK because it will be pulled/stretched into a circular shape on the pizza paddle before it goes into the oven.

Pizza Marinara

Pizza Marinara is a traditional  Neapolitan pizza without cheese or meat.

For Pizza Marinara, add 2 ea.  ladles tomato sauce on to the dough.
Tomato sauce is made from San Marzano tomatoes (peeled & hand-crushed)

Use ladle to swirl tomato sauce around the dough.
Cover dough leaving a border around the edges.

Add oregano to pizza.

Place sliced garlic on the tomato sauce covered dough.

Add olive oil liberally in a swirling, concentric circle motion all around the pizza.

Move pizza paddle close to cooking surface & add a pinch of flour to the pizza paddle to prevent dough from sticking to it.

Pull pizza on to the pizza paddle.

Once pizza is on the pizza paddle, pull the dough to make it into a round shape.

Place pizza into the pizza oven heated to 800° F.

After 30 seconds, use the paddle to lift it to check the bottom.
Bottom should look spotted like a leopard.

After verifying that the pizza bottom is spotted, use the paddle to rotate the pizza 90 degrees in the oven.

Wait another 30 seconds, then rotate the pizza again 90 degrees in the oven

Before removing the pizza from the oven, use the paddle to lift the pizza from the hot surface for 10- 20 seconds to cook evenly.

Remove from pizza from the oven and, voila… Neapolitan Pizza Marinara!

Pizza Margherita is another classic authentic Neapolitan Pizza which has cheese; but, no meat

For Pizza Margherita, use the same flour ingredients, dough making, & cooking instructions listed above for Pizza Marinara.

Here are the changes when preparing Pizza Margherita:

Put only one ladle tomato sauce on the dough.
Tomato sauce is made from San Marzano tomatoes (peeled & hand-crushed)

Swirl tomato sauce around the dough out to the edge.
Coverage doesn’t have to be perfectly even because only one ladle was used.

Do not use Oregano; instead put basil leaves on the pizza.

Apply a handful of chopped mozzarella cheese to the pizza ensuring a mozzarella piece covers each basil leaf.