Authentic Neapolitan pizza, or Pizza Napoletana, is known for being very tender, light and moist at the same time. It is cooked in a wood oven at 800°F for just 90 seconds and needs between 58 and 65% hydration. Its ingredients must be Italian and come from a specific area, such as San Marzano tomatoes. A Neapolitan pizza is flat and made with mozzarella cheese.
It differs from the typical takeaway pizza because it's not loaded with cheese or fatty meat. It has a thin crust and charred edges, making it a healthier option for the average pizza lover. Neapolitan pizza is a flat style of pizza made with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. However, it cannot be just any tomato or any piece of mozzarella to claim the protection status of pizza, only specific products will serve.
Neapolitan pizza has a protected status granted by the Italian Standards Organization managed by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana (AVPN). Pizzas can be sweet or savory, and even the famous author Alejandro Dumas wrote about the diversity of pizza ingredients. So what is Neapolitan-style pizza? Born in the city of Naples (therefore Neapolitan), in the fertile land of Campania under Mount Vesuvius, this pizza has the status of “Guaranteed Traditional Specialty”, which means that it must be prepared precisely in order to be called Neapolitan pizza. Using your hands to eat a pizza makes it less authentic, and avoiding tomato sauce stains will make the pizza look unappetizing.
In fact, the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, founded in 1984 in Naples, certifies pizzerias that use the appropriate artisanal traditions of authentic Neapolitan pizza. According to the rules proposed by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, authentic Neapolitan pizza dough consists of wheat flour, natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt and water. However, with the growing pizza marketing industry in the U.S. In the US, it's now difficult to find authentic Neapolitan pizza.
