Uncle Larry Adventures

Italian Classics · Campania

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Impasto per Pizza Napoletana

Neapolitan pizza dough at 65% hydration with a 24-hour cold fermentation, for a light, blistered crust in a home oven.

Impasto per Pizza Napoletana

Four ingredients and a long cold rise

Blistered Neapolitan pizza fresh from the oven on a dark surface

The short version

Neapolitan pizza dough at 65% hydration with a 24-hour cold fermentation, for a light, blistered crust in a home oven.

Prep
30 min
Cook
10 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4 pizzas

Ingredients

  • 500 g 00 flour
  • 325 g cold water (65% hydration)
  • 15 g fine sea salt
  • 1 g fresh yeast, or ⅓ tsp instant

Instructions

  1. 01

    Dissolve. Salt into the water first, then a third of the flour, then the yeast, then the rest.

  2. 02

    Knead. Ten minutes by hand until smooth and slightly tacky. Rest 20 minutes and knead one more minute.

  3. 03

    Cold rise. Covered, in the fridge, 24 hours. This is where the flavor and the blisters come from.

  4. 04

    Ball up. Divide into four 210 g balls and rest at room temperature 4 hours before baking.

  5. 05

    Stretch by hand. Push the air to the rim from the center. Never use a rolling pin.

Larry’s rule: Get the oven as hot as it goes with a steel or stone inside for a full hour. Home ovens fail on heat, not on dough.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

Serving
1 serving (about 219 g)
Calories
445 calories
Protein
15 g
Carbs
91 g
Fat
2 g
Saturated fat
0 g
Fibre
3 g
Sugar
0 g
Sodium
1778 mg
Cholesterol
0 mg

Figures are estimates calculated from this recipe’s ingredients and yield. Brands, cuts and portion sizes will move them.

Quoting or citing this recipe? Credit “Uncle Larry Adventures” and link to this page (https://unclelarryadventures.com/recipes/impasto-pizza-napoletana).

Before you cook

What to know about Impasto per Pizza Napoletana

What it is

Impasto per Pizza Napoletana is a pizza recipe rooted in Campania's tomato-rich, ingredient-first cooking. This version makes 4 pizzas in 40 min and focuses on the technique that gives the dish its characteristic texture and flavor.

Why this method works

The method builds flavor in a deliberate order: dissolve, then knead, then cold rise. Following that sequence keeps the main ingredients distinct while bringing the finished dish together.

Key ingredients and what they do

  • 500 g 00 flour — provides the recipe's main structure, so its cooking time and texture matter.
  • 325 g cold water (65% hydration) — supports the dish's balance, texture and regional character.
  • 15 g fine sea salt — supports the dish's balance, texture and regional character.
  • 1 g fresh yeast, or ⅓ tsp instant — supports the dish's balance, texture and regional character.

Smart substitutions

Bread flour can stand in for 00 flour in a home oven. Expect a slightly chewier crust and adjust water only if the dough feels unusually dry.

Make ahead and leftovers

Make the dough ahead when the recipe allows. Refrigerate it covered, then bring it toward room temperature before shaping; bake topped pizza just before serving.

What to serve with it

  • Serve hot with a sharp green salad.
  • Cut into smaller pieces for an antipasto spread.

Larry’s why

Why the dough needs a slow, cold rise

A long rest in the fridge — 24 to 72 hours — lets enzymes break starch into sugar, which is what gives crust its colour and that faintly sweet, complex flavour. A fast warm rise makes gas but no taste. Time does the work you cannot fake with more yeast.

Larry’s rule: Less yeast, more time.

More questions Larry gets asked →

Questions Larry gets asked

How long does impasto per pizza napoletana take to make?
About 40 min start to finish — roughly 30 min of prep and 10 min of cooking. That yields 4 pizzas.
What do you need to make impasto per pizza napoletana?
4 ingredients, starting with 500 g 00 flour, 325 g cold water (65% hydration), 15 g fine sea salt. The full list with quantities is on this page.
How do you start impasto per pizza napoletana?
Dissolve: Salt into the water first, then a third of the flour, then the yeast, then the rest.
How do you know when impasto per pizza napoletana is done?
Stretch by hand. Push the air to the rim from the center. Never use a rolling pin.
What is the most common mistake with impasto per pizza napoletana?
Get the oven as hot as it goes with a steel or stone inside for a full hour. Home ovens fail on heat, not on dough.
Can you make impasto per pizza napoletana ahead of time?
Yes. Cool it completely, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days and reheat gently — covered, over low heat or in a 325°F oven — so it warms through without drying out. It is a bread that reheats well.

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Quick answer

How do you convert oven time and temperature to an air fryer?

Lower the oven temperature by 25°F (about 15°C) and cut the cooking time by roughly 20 percent. A dish that bakes 30 minutes at 400°F becomes about 24 minutes at 375°F in the air fryer — check at the 15-minute mark the first time.

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