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My same day Neapolitan pizza dough recipe only needs 5 pantry ingredients, cooks beautifully in ANY kitchen oven, and recreates that Naples-style chewy-yet-crispy texture in under 3 hours (in time for dinner!). So, cancel that booking to your local trattoria and bring Naples straight to your home! Serve with marinara sauce and my homemade fresh mozzarella for the ultimate pizza night.
Quick Look: Same Day Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Rise Time: 2 Hours
- Total Time: 2 Hours 45 Minutes
- Yield: 4 12-Inch Pizzas
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Optional Add Ins: Italian herbs, thyme, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chilli flakes, cinnamon, sugar
- Method: Mix, rise, shape, and bake!
- Why This Works: 5 ingredients, no overnight rise, and a Naples-style taste without the effort.
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Why We Like This
- Ready in time for dinner: I hated how typical pizza dough required an overnight rise and a painstaking amount of elbow grease. It made the temptation of ordering takeout pizza impossible to resist. THIS is why I made this pizza recipe. It takes just a few hours to make, and most of that time is a hands-off rise… And yes, it also won't leave your arms aching! You'll never order takeout again.
- It tastes BETTER than restaurant pizzas: I'm not biased here. My friends have genuinely called this the BEST pizza they've ever had, restaurant pizzas included! I also owe this to my secret combo of toppings: marinara sauce, a mix of fresh mozzarella and cheddar cheese, onions, banana peppers, and pepperoni. Once it's baked, I finish the pizza with goat cheese, thyme, and a drizzle of honey. My friends and family devour this in seconds.
- No need for a fancy pizza oven: Using your kitchen oven here isn't just for convenience; it actually works better. Seriously. I've tried making this dough in a very expensive pizza oven and actually prefer to use my kitchen oven instead.
- You can make the dough ahead of time: I LOVE hosting pizza parties for my friends, but I hated how I'd always end up spending most of the time in the kitchen. My pizza recipe is super quick to make, but it can also be prepped in advance a few days before. This means less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your guests' company! Why not slice and serve with my bite-sized bagels and mini brownie bites as part of a party snack platter?
- The perfect base for a pizza night: I'm a firm believer that a pizza night tradition should be mandatory. You can prep the pizza bases for your friends and family, and then set up a build-your-own pizza bar with a variety of different sauces, cheeses, and toppings like my low sugar ketchup. It always makes for a priceless experience, and it'll save you some of the prep and stress!
Ingredients
Finding the ingredients for my Neapolitan pizza dough starts with opening your pantry cupboard; the dough comes together with just a few basic staples.
- All-Purpose Flour: You can use any kind of all-purpose flour you have in your pantry, but just be sure it's in date and you have enough for both the dough and shaping. So many recipes swear by the specialty "00 flour" for pizza, but this isn't needed here. I have actually tried making this with 00 flour, and trust me, you can't tell the difference.
- Instant Yeast: Instant yeast gives you the same effect as active dry yeast, but without the effort and prep involved. It works immediately and can just be added to your dough. If you only have active dry yeast on hand, just remember to activate it first. You'll need to dissolve it in warm water for a few minutes beforehand.
Minoo's Pro Tip: Make your dough your own! Mix in Italian herbs for a classic vibe, add garlic powder or thyme, or even add my homemade paprika powder for a smoky kick. Don't forget to look beyond "savory" too! You can even add cinnamon and sugar and turn your pizza into a dessert pizza, topped with my Nutella chocolate spread and crumbled homemade Oreo cookies.
How to Make Same Day Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe
- Step 1: Combine 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon instant yeast, and 1½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add 2 cups warm water and mix until a wet, sticky dough forms. Drizzle with 2 tablespoon olive oil and shape the dough into a ball. Make sure to scrape the sides as you shape so that everything is fully combined.
- Step 2: Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Minoo's Pro Tip: Can't find the perfect rising spot in your home? You can create it with your oven! Just turn the oven light on and pop the covered dough bowl inside. I've found the dough always rises nicely.
- Step 3: Dump your risen dough onto a well-floured surface. Dust the dough's surface and your hands with more flour, and then shape it into a rough ball. Divide the ball into 4 equal-sized portions (this will make 12-inch pizzas).
Minoo's Pro Tip: Don't be afraid to use extra flour for dusting here, as the dough can be sticky to work with! You can also lightly oil your hands.
- Step 4: Shape each portion into a tight, smooth ball, and then cover them with your kitchen towel again and allow them to rest for 30 minutes. If you're baking your pizzas later on, refrigerate the dough balls and remove them from the fridge an hour beforehand.
- Step 5: When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450°F and place a baking sheet inside.
- Step 6: Shape each dough ball into a round pizza. I find it's easiest to start from the center and stretch outward until you have a thin, almost see-through consistency, around ¼ inch thick.
Minoo's Pro Tip: Try to stretch the dough as thin as possible. Don't worry if it rips; you can patch it up easily by just pressing it back together.
- Step 7: The fun begins! Transfer the pizzas to a piece of floured parchment baking paper and add your desired toppings. I personally love a marinara base with mozzarella, sun dried cherry tomatoes, salami, and basil, but the possibilities are endless. I've even had friends make a "hamburger" style and add mince, my homemade brine pickles, and burger sauce!
- Step 8: Add the pizzas with the parchment paper to the pre-heated baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the pizzas are golden and crispy. The exact timing will depend on your toppings and the pizzas' thickness, so keep a close eye on your oven.
Minoo's Pro Tip: I like to check the oven every few minutes once it reaches the 15-minute mark. The difference between a dippable golden crust and a burned, crumbly mess can be a matter of minutes, so I find if you check too infrequently, you can miss that "key" moment where the texture is perfect!
- Step 9: Allow to cool for a few minutes, then slice, serve, and enjoy! Pair with my fresh sodas like my DIY Coca Cola for a refreshing summer feel, or enjoy with my easy garlic knots for a (kid-approved!) family dinner night. If you're "crazy"- ahem, adventurous like me, drizzle on my healthy ketchup recipe. It's a pizza game-changer. Trust me.
Expert Tips
- Don't overdo it with wet toppings: Too many toppings, especially high-moisture ones like mushrooms, will leave you with an undercooked, soggy, dense pizza. I get the temptation, especially as a Persian who was raised on "loaded" pizzas, but be mindful. Keep wet toppings to a minimum; think a scatter instead of a full handful.
- Start baking the pizza dough on the bottom rack: I used to ALWAYS get burned toppings and an underdone dough. Starting the dough on the bottom rack for the first 10 minutes, and then moving it to the top, helps to combat this.
- Broil the pizza for a pizza-oven style char: Since I LOVE the smokiness and crispiness a char brings, I like to broil the pizza for 2 minutes at the end for an extra char. This makes the crust SO much more flavorful, and I've found the smokiness pairs perfectly with a garlic and herb dip. Make your own with my easy cream cheese recipe, garlic powder, and Italian herbs!
- Don't overwork the dough: While some pizza recipes involve heavy kneading, my recipe doesn't (another reason why it's so simple to make). You just want to shape it until it forms a ball. Overworking the dough here can actually cause it to become dense, so less is more.
- Don't cram your pizzas together: Take it one pizza at a time if you don't have much space! Trying to cram all your pizzas together on a small baking sheet can prevent them from baking properly. It can also cause a huge mess as the cheese and wet toppings spread. Use multiple baking sheets or cook in batches if you don't have any spare baking sheets.
- Prick the dough before adding toppings: This step might seem pointless, but it makes a huge difference. The holes will allow for more airflow and help your pizzas bake thoroughly and evenly. This step is especially key if you're loading it up!
Same Day Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe FAQs
My pizza dough will last for up to 3 days in the fridge. Just cover each risen dough ball in plastic wrap before you store them in the fridge, and take them out an hour before you plan to bake them.
You can also cook the pizzas fully, then reheat them the next day in the oven at 375°F for 20 minutes. I've found they'll taste just as fresh, though if you do want to keep your pizzas for longer, I recommend freezing them (see below!).
Yes! Place the 4 risen dough balls in an oiled bag, and then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to enjoy, just defrost in the fridge the night before.
To freeze an already prepared pizza, place it on a circular piece of cardboard (similar to a store-bought frozen pizza), cover in plastic wrap, and then keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat at 375°F for 20 minutes.
Fyi, you can also freeze my pull-apart garlic bread and my homemade Mountain Dew, both of which pair PERFECTLY with my Neapolitan pizza dough!
Yes! I still recommend you stick to all-purpose flour for the best results, but you can use bread flour in a pinch. It'll give you a slightly chewier, stronger crust. Substitute with an equal amount.
Just be aware that bread flour absorbs more moisture than all-purpose flour, so I find that adding an extra 2 to 3 tablespoon of warm water can help prevent the pizza from turning out dry. Bread flour also develops more gluten. It will need a longer rest and more shaping and stretching than all-purpose flour.
You likely added too many wet toppings! Remember that high-moisture toppings, like mushrooms, will release the water as they bake, so it's important to not overload your pizza with them. You can add any extra wet toppings after baking (just cook them separately in advance).
You may have also failed to preheat the baking sheet. I know it seems a little unnecessary, but trust me: the pan's heat here helps the bottom hold up and cook thoroughly. As another little trick, always prick the dough with your fork before you add your sauce and toppings.
More to Try
The possibilities with pizza are endless, and I'm not just talking about the toppings here. You can pair my same day Neapolitan pizza dough with so many things. Check out some of my family's favorites:
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Same Day Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe
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Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for shaping
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all-purpose flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Add warm water and mix until a wet, sticky dough forms. Drizzle with olive oil and shape the dough into a ball.
- Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Dump the dough onto a floured surface. Dust with more flour and shape into a rough ball, adding more flour as needed. Divide into 4 equal-sized portions.
- Shape each portion into a tight dough ball. Cover and let them rest for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat your oven to 450°F with a baking sheet inside.
- Shape each dough ball into a round pizza, until thin and almost see-through.
- Transfer the pizzas to a floured parchment paper and add your desired toppings.
- Add the pizzas on the parchment paper to the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 15-30 minutes, or until the pizzas are golden and crispy.
- Allow to cool slightly, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerate if you're baking later: If you're baking your pizzas later on in the day, refrigerate the dough balls and remove from the fridge an hour before baking.
- Stretch with the right technique: Start from the center of the dough ball and stretch outward until thin.
- Oven timings will vary: Timing will depend on your toppings and thickness. Wet toppings on a thicker base will take longer to cook than a thin base with dry or minimal toppings.
Nutrition
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I'm a meal prepped, so I love that you said it's good to freeze. How would you recommend to do it? Freeze the dough balls and thaw the night before or shape into the pizza then freeze?
Paige, great question! I usually freeze the dough as individual dough balls after the first rise. Then just move one to the fridge the night before pizza night and let it thaw slowly. The next day bring it to room temp, stretch, and bake.
Also, if you really want to make meal prep super easy, you can actually shape the pizzas, add the toppings, and freeze them on round pieces of cardboard (like store-bought frozen pizzas). Then you can bake them straight from frozen!
Can you bake multiple pizzas on different racks? Would you use convection at a lower temperature in that case?
You can! You can use the same temperature just make sure to move the ones on the bottom rack to the top to get broiled at the end.
So happy with the results ! It’s the first time I was able to make a dough that actually ressembles and tastes like a pizza dough ! I can definitively improve it (not the recipe, it’s perfect. Just my way of following it) but for a first time, it was amazing ! And so easy and quick to make !!!! Thank you, the instructions were so clear and I like the step-by-step pictures !
I'm soooooo happy to hear this Syrine!! Friday pizza night is a tradition in my home and the dough must always be made from scratch so I'm so happy to be sharing it with you and your family too (:
Can I use a pizza stone with this recipe?
Have your tried cooking pizzas on a gas grill? We love doing that for summer but have never done my own crusts…. Wondering if/how this would work? Would I still use the parchment paper? Thanks!
I have not but I want to!! TBH Im not sure how this pizza dough would do because its very high in hydration and might fall through the grill so if you try it maybe add less water (reduce by 1/2 cup) and knead your dough. Then if you oil your dough and the grill you should be able to add it right on there without parchment paper!
Can I use 00 flour?
Yes that should work great!
to freeze do I freeze before or after 2nd rest. tia. brenda
Hi Brenda! You can freeze it after the first rest. (:
Absolutely delicious and yummy and the best recipe
So glad you think so Lallie!!
Your dough is excellent, fuss free thank you so much bless you.
ahhh so happy to hear that Lorraine!!
Hey there! Will bread flour work?
Absolutely Heidi! You may have to play around with the amounts of water and flour a little bit, but it will give you a great dough!
very light, fluffy, flavorful....just what we were looking for. Thanks for sharing
So glad you liked it Carrie!!
I am 85 years old and I love to bake but at my age it's very hard but I already made two of your recipes and I love them . I love all your recipes next I will try the pizza dough. Thank you for the recipe
You are incredible Phyllis!! So glad you're liking the recipes. Let me know how the pizza goes (: