Jonathon Schuhrke

The Neapolitan-Inspired Pizza Bake

Appears in
Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook: Masterpiece Recipes for All Kinds of Pizza
Epic Outdoor Pizza Oven Cookbook

By Jonathon Schuhrke

Published 2023

  • About
Neapolitan-style pizza is baked quickly (60-90 seconds) at very high temperatures (800°F-900°F) to achieve its signature taste and appearance.
  1. For the Neapolitan-Inspired Pizza Bake, light the oven and turn the heat to the highest setting (if using gas) or fuel amply with wood. Heat the oven with a full flame for about 30 minutes and the baking stone reaches a temperature of about 850°F (454°C) when taken with an infrared thermometer. If the baking stone is too hot, a cast-iron pan can be placed on the baking surface for 1 or 2 minutes, then removed, to cool the stone.
  2. Load the pizza onto the baking stone with the oven on high heat. The flame should be rolling over the oven deck. Neapolitan-style baking moves quickly, so keep your eyes on the crust closest to the heat source, watching for the crust to rise and brown with tiny "leopard" spot markings. Turn the pizza using a pizza turning peel before the crust and spotting darken too much and burn, causing off flavors. For this pizza style, 1 or 2 complete turns of the pizza may be all that is needed to bake fully.
  3. When the crust is fully baked, it should feel set when picked up with the turning peel but not stiff. The delicate and moist nature of Neapolitan-style pizza is best when eaten immediately. Let the finished pizza rest on a wire rack briefly before slicing and serving.