Uncle Larry Adventures

Italian Classics · Campania

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Pizza Marinara

The original Neapolitan pizza marinara: San Marzano tomato, sliced garlic, oregano and olive oil on a blistered 24-hour dough.

Pizza Marinara

Naples' original, cheeseless

Neapolitan pizza marinara with tomato, garlic and oregano on a wooden peel

The short version

The original Neapolitan pizza marinara: San Marzano tomato, sliced garlic, oregano and olive oil on a blistered 24-hour dough.

Prep
30 min
Cook
8 min
Total
24 hr with rise
Serves
4 pizzas

Ingredients

  • 500 g 00 flour
  • 325 g water
  • 12 g salt
  • 1 g instant yeast
  • 1 (14 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes, hand-crushed and salted
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • Dried oregano
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. 01

    Mix and rest. Mix flour and water until shaggy, rest 20 minutes, then work in the salt and yeast until smooth. Cover and leave 2 hours at room temperature.

  2. 02

    Ball and cold-proof. Divide into four 210 g balls, cover and refrigerate 18–24 hours. Bring back to room temperature 2 hours before baking.

  3. 03

    Preheat hot. Heat a pizza steel or stone at the oven's maximum for 45 minutes, broiler on for the last 10.

  4. 04

    Open the dough. Stretch by hand from the center out, leaving a puffy inch at the rim. No rolling pin.

  5. 05

    Top and bake. Spread a thin layer of crushed tomato, scatter garlic and oregano, drizzle with oil. Bake 6–8 minutes until the rim is blistered and spotted.

Larry’s rule: Cheese is optional here and always has been. Good tomatoes are not.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

Serving
1 serving (about 310 g)
Calories
690 calories
Protein
20 g
Carbs
109 g
Fat
20 g
Saturated fat
3 g
Fibre
7 g
Sugar
6 g
Sodium
1230 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/pizza-marinara).

Before you cook

What to know about Pizza Marinara

What it is

Pizza Marinara is a pizza recipe rooted in Campania's tomato-rich, ingredient-first cooking. This version makes 4 pizzas in 24 hr with rise 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: mix and rest, then ball and cold-proof, then preheat hot. 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 water — supports the dish's balance, texture and regional character.
  • 12 g salt — supports the dish's balance, texture and regional character.
  • 1 g instant yeast — supports the dish's balance, texture and regional character.

Smart substitutions

Use good-quality whole peeled tomatoes if San Marzano-style tomatoes are unavailable; crush them by hand and adjust the salt at the end.

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 pizza marinara take to make?
About 24 hr with rise start to finish — roughly 30 min of prep and 8 min of cooking. That yields 4 pizzas.
What do you need to make pizza marinara?
8 ingredients, starting with 500 g 00 flour, 325 g water, 12 g salt. The full list with quantities is on this page.
How do you start pizza marinara?
Mix and rest: Mix flour and water until shaggy, rest 20 minutes, then work in the salt and yeast until smooth. Cover and leave 2 hours at room temperature.
How do you know when pizza marinara is done?
Top and bake. Spread a thin layer of crushed tomato, scatter garlic and oregano, drizzle with oil. Bake 6–8 minutes until the rim is blistered and spotted.
What is the most common mistake with pizza marinara?
Cheese is optional here and always has been. Good tomatoes are not.
Can you make pizza marinara 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 main course that reheats well.

What to pour with it

Drink pairings for Pizza Marinara

Garlic and oregano only — keep the glass just as plain.

See the full Italian beverage menu →

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