Authentic Pizza Marinara Recipe
Naples, Italy
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Traditionally, the dough is made with flour, yeast, water, and salt, whereas the topping consists of peeled, milled, and salted tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and olive oil. Besides the listed ingredients, often basil is included as well, although it is not part of the authentic recipe. The characteristic of a true Neapolitan pizza, marinara included, is cornicone, a raised outer rim that is 1-2cm (1/2-inch) wide. Also, size-wise, the pizza should not exceed 35cm (13.5 inches) in diameter. The assembled pizza is baked in a wood-fired oven for 60 to 90 seconds, the end result being a bendable pizza with a thickened sauce in the center and no blackened spots.
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Cooking tips
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making the dough
Ideally, the dough, made with just flour, yeast, salt, and water, should be made the night before or in the morning so it has enough time to ferment. Traditionally, Italian 00 flour is used, which is similar to all-purpose flour. The preparation begins with dissolving salt in water, then adding to that yeast and dissolving it. Then, first, a portion of the flour should be added to the water, and then ... Read more -
fermenting the dough
The dough has to rise two times, for a minimum of 8 hours — the first rise being 2 hours long and a second 6 hours long; however, the second rise can last for up 16 hours, ideally at a 23°C/73°F temperature, or in the refrigerator, equating to a total of 18 hours of fermentation. If the dough is kept in the refrigerator, it should come to room temperature before you start shaping it. Before the second ... Read more -
shaping the dough
The dough, which should be at room temperature, needs to be handled with hands only. First, the ball of dough needs to be placed on a lightly floured working surface. Then, it is to be pressed with fingers only, working from the center outwards and turning it over several times. The result should be a disc of dough with a raised outer edge, approximately 1-2cm (1/2-inch), and a center that is only ... Read more -
tomatoes
Both peeled, canned and fresh tomatoes can be used, traditionally of the San Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese-Nocerino variety. If using peeled tomatoes, they should be strained, salted, and mashed into a homogenous mixture. The amount of salt added to the tomatoes is about 10-12 grams (2 tsp) per 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of tomatoes. If you'd like to peel the tomatoes at home, first, make an incision at the bottom ... Read more -
the topping
The topping for pizza marinara is arranged as follows: first are the tomatoes, then the oregano, and the thin slices of garlic, followed by a light drizzle of olive oil. Some recipes also call for basil and/or pepper, but these are not the ingredients of a traditional pizza marinara. -
baking
Traditionally, pizza marinara is baked in a wood-fired oven at 465 to 485°C (870 to 905°F), but the wood used should not be prone to smoking, have an odor, or moisture, as that may alter the aroma of the pizza. -
at-home preparation
Because it is impossible to achieve the temperature of a wood-fired oven with a home oven, here are a few tricks that can help you get the best results at home. First, it is advisable to bake the pizza on a baking stone or baking steel and to turn the broiler or grill option on before you put the pizza in the oven. Of course, the oven needs to be heated to the maximum possible temperature. Also, for ... Read more
Recipe variations
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Pizza Marinara
Ready in 9h 5minThe recipe is the one codified by Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN Association), meaning only pizzas prepared in this manner can hold the denomination "original Neapolitan pizza". One pizza is one serving, and the number of pizzas that can be made with the amounts stated here ranges from eight to eleven, depending on the amount of flour the water absorbs, which changes daily. That said, if you are not making a huge batch, half a liter (2 1/4 cups) of water makes for approximately five to seven pizzas, so adjust the amounts accordingly. If you do not own a wood-fired oven but want good results, apply the suggestions from our "at-home preparation" tip.
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Italian Academy of Cuisine's Quick Make Pizza Marinara
Ready in 35minCourtesy of Italian Academy of Cuisine, this recipe for marinara couldn’t be more straightforward. All you need is some store-bought pizza dough that you shape with your hands into two discs which are then topped with the traditional ingredients.
Pizza Marinara
PREP 1h
COOK 5min
proofing time 8h
READY IN 9h 5min
The recipe is the one codified by Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN Association), meaning only pizzas prepared in this manner can hold the denomination "original Neapolitan pizza". One pizza is one serving, and the number of pizzas that can be made with the amounts stated here ranges from eight to eleven, depending on the amount of flour the water absorbs, which changes daily. That said, if you are not making a huge batch, half a liter (2 1/4 cups) of water makes for approximately five to seven pizzas, so adjust the amounts accordingly. If you do not own a wood-fired oven but want good results, apply the suggestions from our "at-home preparation" tip.
Ingredients
THE DOUGH
1 L (4 1/4 cups) water
40 – 60g (1.5 - 2 oz) salt
3g (1/2 tsp) fresh yeast
1,6 –1,8 kg (13 1/3 - 15 cups) flour, 00 type (or, all-purpose)
THE TOPPING
70 – 100g (2.1 - 2.8 oz) canned, peeled tomatoes
one garlic clove (3g)
a pinch of oregano (0.5g)
6 – 8g (1 1/2 tsp) extra virgin olive oil (variance of +20% tolerated)
Preparation
THE DOUGH
Dissolve salt in water, then add the yeast to the water and mix to help it melt. Immediately add a portion of the flour to the water and mix. Add the remaining flour in batches, gauging how much flour is needed.
Knead for a minimum of 15-20 minutes, but ideally, 30 minutes — the dough is of ideal consistency when it's sticking a bit to the hands and to the sides of a bowl you're mixing it in.
Shape it into a ball, then lightly coat with flour, to prevent losing moisture as it rises.
FERMENTING THE DOUGH
Place the dough in a large bowl, then cover it with a cloth and store it in a warm place for two hours.
After two hours have passed, shape the dough into balls weighing either 200 or 280 grams (7-10 oz), depending on the size of the pizza you're making — a 22-24cm (8.5-9.5-inch) or a 28-35cm (11-13.5-inch) one.
Once you've shaped the balls, place them all on a plate and cover them with a damp cloth and let them prove for a minimum of six hours.
SHAPING THE DOUGH
Once at least six hours have passed, take a ball of dough, place it on a lightly floured surface.
Pressing on the ball of dough with the thumbs of your fingers, starting from the center and going towards the edges, shape into a disc, turning the dough several times in the process.
As a result of this action, you should end up with a disc that has about a 1-2cm (1/2-inch) raised rim and a center that is approximately 0.3cm (1/8-inch) thick.
THE TOPPING
Arrange the topping as follows; First, place the crushed, peeled tomatoes in the center of the pizza, then, with a spoon, spread them all over, except the rim, in a spiraling fashion.
Next, scatter the slices of garlic evenly across the surface, followed by a sprinkling of oregano, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, which should be applied in a circular motion, starting from the center outwards.
BAKING
Place the pizza on a pizza peel and then slide it into a wood-fired oven with a quick wrist motion, so the topping stays in place.
Bake for 60-90 seconds in a wood-fired oven at a temperature of about 485°C/905°F, checking the doneness by carefully lifting the edges of the pizza.
Also, the pizza should be rotated as it bakes but kept in the same cooking area, so every part gets baked evenly.
WHEN DONE
The finished pizza should have a thick tomato sauce, with garlic and oregano that have developed an aroma and have browned but are not burnt.
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