Neapolitan pizza (; ) is the version of the round

pizza Pizza is an Italian cuisine, Italian, specifically Neapolitan cuisine, Neapolitan, dish typically consisting of a flat base of Leavening agent, leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, baked at a high t ...

typically prepared in the Italian city of

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

and characterised by a soft, thin dough with high edges. The tomatoes are traditionally either

San Marzano tomato San Marzano tomato is a variety of plum tomato originating in the Campania region of Italy. It is known for its flavour and quality as a canning tomato. San Marzano production is protected by a European protected designation of origin (PDO) cer ...

es or , which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of

Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ) is a Somma volcano, somma–stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuv ...

, and the cheese is traditionally or . is a

traditional speciality guaranteed A traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG; : traditional specialities guaranteed) is a traditional food product protected under European Union and/or United Kingdom law. This label differs from the geographical indications protected designation of ...

(TSG) product in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and the art of its making () is included on

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

's list of

intangible cultural heritage An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. In ...

Recipe

According to the rules proposed by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN), the genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of

wheat flour Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of common wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ...

, natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt, and water. The dough is always fat-free and sugar-free. The regulations specify that the dough must be made primarily from a medium-strength ( W value of 250–320; 11–13.5% protein), finely ground wheat flour, with no more than 20% of the flour being

strong flour Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of common wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ...

(W value above 350). Since the end of

World War II in Italy The participation of Italy in the Second World War was characterized by a complex framework of ideology, politics, and diplomacy, while its military actions were often heavily influenced by external factors. Italy joined the war as one of th ...

, when strong flour was imported from Canada as part of the

Marshall Plan The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred $13.3 billion (equivalent to $ in ) in economic recovery pr ...

, this strong flour has been called

Manitoba flour Manitoba is a province of Canada at the longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's fifth-most populous province, with a population of 1,342,153 as of 2021. Manitoba has a widely varied landscape, from arctic tundra and the Hudson Ba ...

. The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, it must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other machine and may be no more than 0.25 cm in height. The pizza must be baked for 60–90 seconds in a wood-fired oven. When cooked, it should be soft, elastic, tender, and fragrant.

UNI and traditional speciality guaranteed

Neapolitan pizza has a protected status granted by the Italian Standardization Body administered by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN). A protected designation is available to pizzerias that meet strict requirements in following Neapolitan traditions in the art of pizza making. The

has recognised as a

since 5 February 2010. The TSG certification attests that a particular food product objectively possesses specific characteristics which differentiate it from all others in its category, and that its raw materials, composition or method of production have been consistent for a minimum of 30 years.

References

External links

Official websitedisciplinare internazionale

AVPN International Regulations
{{Tomatoes Pizza varieties Neapolitan cuisine UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists

Recipe

UNI and traditional speciality guaranteed

See also

References

External links