Homemade Neopolitan Pizza Dough Recipe

This classic style pizza is a Neopolitan recipe. Neopolitan style pizza crust is not oily, but bulky and doughy. It's also low in salt compared to other pizza recipes. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make it:

* 4 cups white flour, sifted
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 envelopes yeast
* 1 3/4 cup warm water

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For the toppings, you'll need:
* 3/4 lb mozzarella cheese (thin sliced)
* 2 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1/4 tsp salt
* Marinara
* Pepperoni, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, or other favorite toppings

This pizza is incredibly easy to make. The recipe here will make 2 x-large pizzas, or 3 large pizzas. Double the recipe and store some of the dough balls in the freezer, wrapped in plastic wrap for quick, easy pizza dough available whenever you need it. Be sure the dough is securely wrapped to prevent the dough from drying out. Try placing it in a sealable bag in addition to plastic wrap.

Directions for Homemade Pizza Dough:

1. Place the flour on a smooth cutting board or pastry board. Combine the yeast and warm water in a container and throughly mix. Add the yeast water to the flour in a large bowl, and knead the mixture together.


2. Work dough into a ball, and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 2 hours, until the dough has roughly doubled in size.

3. Place the dough on a floured surface and pound lightly to deflate the air from the dough. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Stretch one of the doughs over a pie plate or on a pizza/cooking stone. Flour the bottom of the stone, or lightly grease a pan with olive oil.

4. Sprinkle the dough with oil, sauce, cheese, and toppings. Use oregano, salt, pepper, basil and spice if desired. Cook at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes, or until the crust has lightly browned.

Tips for a Better Pizza

Here are some ideas to make your pizza taste a little better next time around:

* Use fresh mozzarella cheese instead of pre-bagged shredded cheese. Fresh mozzarella has a better taste, and tastes great on pizza.

* Use fresh spices instead of dried. Dried spices are good when nothing else is available, but when possible, try fresh basil and oregano on your pizza. This adds immense fresh flavor.

* Make your own pizza sauce. Instead of using a jarred sauce, make your own. A delicious sauce can be made cheaper and much better than the store bought pre-made variety. Use crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and spices and experiment to find a combination you like.

* Try brushing the crust with Extra Virgin olive oil. This adds flavor to the dough, and the better the olive oil, the better your pizza will taste. It will also moisten the pizza slightly.

* Instead of making a round pizza, you can make a square or rectangle. This will make the middle of the pizza have no crust, which might please some of those people that don't like eating crusts.

* Add baby spinach leaves, broccoli, and other vegetables to vary up your pizza. Try making a theme pizza, like pineapple chicken, BLT pizza, or spinach and mushroom.