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Want to make real Neapolitan pizza at home, with a light, airy crust and deep flavor? This Neapolitan pizza with Poolish recipe is your easy, step-by-step guide to achieving authentic results. The Poolish method – a simple pre-ferment – boosts both flavor and texture.
But what exactly is Poolish?
Poolish is a type of pre-ferment made by mixing equal parts flour and water with a tiny amount of yeast. It’s typically left to ferment for several hours at room temperature (about 3 to 6 hours) or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator, becoming bubbly and aromatic. Sometimes, a small amount of sugar or honey is added to help feed the yeast and slightly boost fermentation, but it’s optional.
Let’s break it down, step by step.
Neapolitan Pizza with Poolish
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, mix the 300g flour, 300g water, yeast, and honey until fully combined into a thick batter.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a lid, let it sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours, and then place in the refrigerator for 16–24 hours until bubbly and active.
- Take the poolish out of the fridge, let it sit at room temp for 1 hour, add 200g water, and mix gently before adding the salt and olive oil.
- Gradually add the 430g flour (Tipo 00 or strong bread flour), knead for about 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic, then cover and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces (~280g each) and shape each piece into a tight, smooth dough ball.
- Place in a tray or individual proofing containers, cover, and let rise for 1–2 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat your home oven with a pizza stone/steel for at least 45 minutes at maximum setting (250–300°C), or preheat your outdoor pizza oven to 400–500°C.
- Stretch the dough gently by hand from the center outward to preserve air in the crust, avoiding a rolling pin.
- Perform a short 1–2 minute pre-bake without toppings in home ovens (skip this for high-temperature outdoor ovens).
- Add your no-cook sauce, mozzarella, and basil, then bake for 60–90 seconds in an outdoor pizza oven, or 3–5 minutes (with pre-bake) / 5–7 minutes (without pre-bake) in a home oven.
Day 1 – Prepare the Poolish
- In a large bowl, mix the 300g flour, 300g water, yeast, and honey.
- Stir until fully combined. It will look like a thick batter.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a lid.
- Let it sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours.
- Then place in the refrigerator for 16–24 hours.
Day 2 – Mix the Final Dough
- Take the poolish out of the fridge and let it sit at room temp for 1 hour.
- Add 200g water to the poolish and mix gently.
- Add salt and olive oil.
- Gradually add the 430g flour while mixing by hand or with a mixer.
For accurate results, I recommend using a digital kitchen scale. Precise measurements make a big difference when working with high-hydration dough. - Knead for about 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
Divide & Shape
Before dividing, it’s a good idea to stretch the dough gently to check gluten development.
The dough should feel elastic and hold together without tearing – this shows the gluten is strong enough for shaping.
- Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces (~280g each).
- Shape each piece into a tight dough ball.
To store them properly, I use dough proofing containers – they’re stackable, prevent sticking, and help maintain the dough’s shape during the final rise. - Place in a tray or individual containers, lightly floured.
- Cover and let rise for 1–2 hours at room temperature.
Simple Neapolitan Pizza Sauce (No-Cook)
For a detailed and expanded guide on making classic no-cook Neapolitan pizza sauce, visit my full post here: Simple Neapolitan Pizza Sauce (No-Cook).
How to Bake Neapolitan Pizza with Poolish Dough
1. Preheat Your Oven
- In a Standard Home Oven: Preheat your oven with a pizza stone or a pizza steel for at least 45 minutes at the highest setting (250–300°C / 480–570°F). For optimal results, I use an infrared thermometer to make sure the baking surface reaches the proper temperature before baking.
- In a Dedicated Outdoor Pizza Oven: Fire up your portable or outdoor pizza oven and let it preheat for 15–20 minutes until the stone reaches around 400–500°C (750–900°F).
2. Shape the Dough
When it’s time to shape, stretch the dough gently by hand, never with a rolling pin. Start pressing from the center of the dough and work your way outward, pushing the air toward the edges. This technique creates that signature Neapolitan-style cornicione (puffy crust) without making the base too thin or breaking the structure. Rotate the dough as you go, letting gravity help stretch it evenly.
3. Pre-Baking (Recommended for Home Ovens)
At this point, I recommend doing a short pre-bake (1–2 minutes without toppings) to help the base set properly and prevent sogginess, especially in home ovens.
If you are using a high-temperature pizza oven (whether electric or gas) that reaches 400°C+ / 750°F+, skip this step and move straight to step 4.
👉 Click here for my full guide on pre-baking pizza dough if you want to understand exactly how and why it works.
To transfer the pizza into the oven smoothly, I use a foldable pizza peel like this one by Chef Pomodoro. It’s lightweight, compact, and works great for indoor setups.
4. Toppings & Baking
- Add your toppings: Start with just sauce, mozzarella, and basil for a true Margherita. (Note: For a detailed guide on making classic no-cook sauce, check out my post on Simple Neapolitan Pizza Sauce).
- Baking Times:
– In a Dedicated Outdoor Pizza Oven: Bake for about 60–90 seconds, turning once. (No pre-bake needed).
– In a Home Oven (with pre-bake): Bake for about 3–5 minutes after adding your toppings.
– In a Home Oven (without pre-bake): Bake for about 5–7 minutes, until the crust is puffed and lightly charred.
✅ Tips for Neapolitan Pizza with Poolish Success
- Use a digital scale for accurate results.
- Don’t overload your pizza with toppings — less is more.
- Let your pizza steel or stone preheat fully before baking.
- Stretch by hand, never with a rolling pin — it preserves air bubbles.
Tools Mentioned in This Recipe
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Frequently Asked Questions
It’s best to use it within the 16–24 hour window. If left past 36–48 hours, the yeast may run out of food (sugars), causing the poolish to collapse, lose its gassing power, and become overly acidic, which affects the final dough’s structure.
Neapolitan pizza dough typically uses high hydration levels (around 65% to 80%) to ensure a light, airy crust with big air pockets (cornicione). While it can be sticky to handle at first, proper kneading and building strong gluten will make it much easier to shape without needing excessive dry flour.
Yes. Traditional home ovens max out around 250–300°C (480–570°F), which is much cooler than a 400°C+ commercial or outdoor pizza oven. A preheated pizza stone or steel acts as a thermal battery, transferring intense heat directly to the bottom of the dough to mimic that authentic, leopard-spotted Neapolitan crust.
Yes, you can! The best time to freeze the dough is right after dividing and shaping them into tight balls. For a complete, step-by-step walkthrough on methods, timing, and how to thaw them properly without ruining the gluten structure, check out my guide on how to store pizza dough balls.
Final Thoughts
Making pizza with Poolish takes a little planning, but the results speak for themselves: light, flavorful crust with perfect structure. Once you try it, you’ll never go back to same-day dough.
This Neapolitan pizza with Poolish recipe is perfect for home bakers who want to level up their pizza game with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
[…] If you want to experiment with a longer fermentation, you can also try my Neapolitan Pizza Dough with Poolish. […]