Neapolitan pizza is one of the few styles with a formal specification. The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) sets rules covering flour type, dough hydration, oven temperature and even the diameter of the finished pie, and many pizzerias advertise certification against that standard.
The dough
Traditional Neapolitan dough uses only type 00 or 0 wheat flour, water, salt and yeast — no oil, no sugar. It's hand-kneaded and left to ferment for at least eight hours, which is what gives the crust its characteristic air pockets and slight tang.
The oven
A wood-fired oven holding roughly 800–900°F (430–480°C) bakes a Neapolitan pizza in 60 to 90 seconds. That short, intense bake is why the crust develops charred leopard spots on the rim while the centre stays soft enough to fold rather than crack.
- Margherita: San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella, basil, olive oil.
- Marinara: tomato, garlic, oregano, olive oil — no cheese at all.
- Diavola: tomato, mozzarella, spicy salami.
Why the centre is soft, not a flaw
First-time diners sometimes mistake the soft, almost wet centre of a Neapolitan pie for underbaking. It's intentional: the short bake time and high hydration dough are designed to produce a pliable centre that's eaten with a knife and fork or folded in quarters, called a “libretto,” or little book.
Finding an authentic version nearby
Look for a visible wood-fired oven, a menu that lists Margherita and Marinara as the two anchor pizzas, and a stated 60–90 second cook time. Restaurants that highlight imported 00 flour or San Marzano tomatoes on the menu are usually signalling that they take the style seriously.