I’ve spent about an hour in Naples, Italy, but I spent almost that entire 60 minutes eating pizza. Actually two pizzas, and a Peroni Nastro Azzurro, from two different pizzerias. I wasn’t going to waste my time in the pizza capital of the world not eating pizza.

Pizzaioli (pizza makers) in Naples turn out a pie in 60-90 seconds because their ovens are anywhere from 700 to 1200˚F. Unless, you’ve built a pizza oven at home, your oven can’t go that high. My oven only goes to 500˚, which might seem hot, but it’s not hot enough. Also, the makeup of a pizza oven is different than the oven in your kitchen. The thick slab, the dome shape, and the fire in the corner all work together to simultaneously crisp the bottom and melt the cheese while the high temp ensures the crust doesn’t dry out.

The solution for home-baked pizza? Well, there isn’t a perfect one. A baking stone makes a decent substitute for a slab. To get the temp higher, I use the grill (650˚). But the problem with that is the heat comes from underneath the pizza, so the top won’t cook before the bottom chars. Since you can’t flip a pizza, I use a broiler to finish the top. My friend John, who shares a similar interest in perfecting the home-cooked pizza, says it’s not a pure method because it’s not done entirely on the grill. But, I think it’s the best option besides getting some bricks and mortar and practicing your dome building skills in the backyard.

PIZZA DOUGH RECIPE
makes 3 pizzas

Traditional Neapoliain pizza dough is made from four ingredients: flour, salt, water, and yeast.

“00” is an Italian flour that you’ll find in most pizza recipes. It’s finer milled than all purpose. If you feel them side by side, you can feel the difference. And it improves the quality of the dough. You can order it online.

2 1/4 c “00” flour
2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 c warm water

1. Mix together water and yeast. Let rest 5 minutes. Then add in salt and flour.
2. Stir until it forms a mass. Then knead by hand or with bread hooks, 5-7 minutes.
3. Divide into three equal sized portions and shape into balls.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment and grease with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the parchment, cover with plastic wrap, and ferment overnight in the fridge.
5. An hour or so before you’re ready to make the pizza, remove the tray from the fridge.
6. When ready, transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Toss, gently stretching the underside of the dough with your fists as you spin it in a circle. Don’t roll the dough out with a rolling pin. You’ll squish all the good bubbles.
7. Place on a peel (pizza paddle) dusted with semolina.

At the pizzeria I went to in Naples, they served only two pizzas, Margherita and Marinara, basically cheese or no cheese. The sauce is just crushed san marzano tomatoes with a little salt.

PIZZA MARGHERITA RECIPE

san marzano tomatoes, crushed
salt
extra virgin olive oil
fresh mozzarella
fresh basil

I left out the quantities on purpose. If you get one 28 oz can of san marzano tomatoes, it’ll be plenty. Scoop a couple spoonfuls of sauce in the center and use the backside of the spoon to spread it around, leaving an inch around the edge for the crust. Sprinkle with salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Slice the mozzarella thinly, or if you want it more even, you can grate it. You want the cheese to cover the pie, but still show the sauce beneath it. Garnish with basil after you broil the top.

PIZZA MARINARA RECIPE

san marzano tomatoes, pureed
salt
oregano
garlic, sliced thin
extra virgin olive oil

Instead of cheese, sprinkle with oregano, and some sliced garlic (about a clove). Drizzle with olive oil (about 1 T).

TO COOK THE PIZZA

1. Place a baking stone on the grill and heat on high. At the same time turn on your broiler to high.
2. After about 20-30 minutes when the stone is thoroughly heated, you are ready. Gently shake the pizza first on the peel to make sure it will slide. Slide the edge of the pizza until it touches the back of the stone, and then pull the peel towards you to get the rest of the pie on the stone. Quickly, close the grill.

3. After about 3 minutes, the crust should be puffed up and the bottom of the pizza cooked (lightly dusted with black spots). Slide the pizza back on the peel and then onto a baking sheet.
4. Immediately place under the broiler, watching carefully, until the cheese bubbles a couple minutes.
5. Top with fresh basil. In Italy, they don’t slice the pizza.

As you notice, this method takes about 5-6 minutes. Too long still. But faster than an oven method, which typically clocks in around 8 minutes.