Caputo’s Pizza Napoletana

Dough Ingredients
1 pkg. active dry yeast
2 cups water, 110 degrees
1 cup pastry flour
4 T sea salt
5 1/2 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Pizza Topping Ingredients
14 oz. fresh San Marzano tomatoes, chopped, or 1 can San Marzano tomatoes, drained and chopped
12 oz. mozzarella di bufala or fiore di latte, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
sea salt to taste
25 to 30 fresh basil leaves
2 T extra virgin olive oil


In the bowl of a heavy -duty mixer fitted with dough hook, stur the yeast into the warm water until dissolved. Add the pastry flour and salt and mix well. Continue mixing, adding the all-purpose flour 1 cup at a time, until the dough is smooth and not sticky, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn the ball to coat with oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.

Pre-heat oven, fitted with a pizza stone, to the hottest temperature available or 750 degrees. Punch the dough down and divide it into 6 balls, weighing about 6 ounces each. Place the balls on parchement paper, cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Pat and stretch each ball of dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch, leaving the outer edge slightly thicker. Each round should be about 10 inches in diameter. Place the dough on a corn meal or flour dusted pizza paddle. Place some of the tomatoes in the center of the dough round and distribute evenly form the center with a curcular motion, leaving about 1/2 inch of the outside edge bare. Distribute some mozzarella evenly over the pizza, sprinkle with a little sea salt and top with 2 or 3 leaves or basil. Drizzle with a little olive oil and slide into the heated oven. The pizza is done when the edges are golden. Remove from oven and top with a few extra basil leaves. Repeat with remaining pizzas, serve immediately.

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