Easy Neapolitan Pizza Recipe

Make the pizza dough: Prepare the dough using this pizza dough recipe . (This takes about 15 minutes to make and 45 minutes to rest.)

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°F (or preheat your pizza oven).

Make the pizza sauce .

Slice the mozzarella into ¼ inch thick pieces. If it’s incredibly watery fresh mozzarella (all brands vary), allow it to sit on a paper towel for 15 minutes, then dab the mozzarella with the paper towel to remove any additional moisture.

When the oven is ready, stretch the dough into a circle (see How to Stretch Pizza Dough for instructions). Sprinkle a pizza peel with semolina flour or cornmeal, then carefully place the dough on top. Spread the pizza sauce across the dough. Top with mozzarella cheese. Top with a thin layer of fresh grated Parmesan cheese and a few pinches of kosher salt .

If you’re baking in a pizza oven , add the basil leaves. For baking in a standard oven, skip this step.

Transfer the pizza to the pizza stone on the pizza peel, then bake until the cheese is melted, about 7 minutes in the oven (or 1 minute in the pizza oven ). Allow the pizza to cool for a minute or two before adding the basil on top (whole leaves, lightly torn, or thinly sliced). Slice into pieces and serve immediately.