Marinara

Name: Marinara
Prep time: 1125 min
Cook time: 2 min
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian Menu
Ingredients: Type 00 Pizza Flour — 500g; Warm Water — 325ml; Salt — 9g; Instant Dry Yeast — ⅛ tsp; Olive Oil — 1 tbsp; Semolina Flour — For dusting; San Marzano Tomatoes — 800g; Garlic — 1 clove; Fresh Basil — 10 leaves; Salt — 1 tsp; Black Pepper — 1 tsp; Dried Oregano — 1 tbsp; Garlic — 1 clove; Dried Oregano — 1 tsp; Fresh Basil — 5g; Olive Oil — 2 tbsp

One of the oldest and most authentic creations from Naples, this iconic wood-fired pizza features a soft, airy crust with a signature leopard-spotted charred rim. Simple yet deeply satisfying, it is topped with sweet San Marzano tomato sauce, thinly sliced garlic, fragrant oregano, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, delivering a pure, rustic burst of traditional Mediterranean flavours.

Cuisines

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 18 hours 45 minutes
Cooking: 2 minutes

Servings: 2 to 4

Notes:

San Marzano tomatoes provide the most authentic flavour and natural sweetness for the sauce.

The long 18-hour double-proofing process creates an airy, light crust, but store-bought pizza dough can be used for a quicker alternative.

Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano can be added if cheese is preferred, though classic Neapolitan marinara is strictly cheeseless.

Mix the Dough Base
In a large bowl, mix 500g of Type 00 pizza flour with 325g of warm water (33°C) until fully incorporated, cover, and let rest for 30 minutes.

Ferment and Proof the Dough
Add 9g of salt and ⅛ tsp of instant dry yeast, then knead well. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes, perform two stretch-and-folds spaced 20 minutes apart, then tuck into a ball, drizzle with olive oil, and cover to proof at room temperature for 12 hours.

Divide into Dough Balls
Divide the risen dough into 4 equal portions, shape each into a smooth dough ball, place in a covered tray, and proof at room temperature for another 6 hours.

Prepare the Marinara Sauce
Drizzle and strain a can of San Marzano tomatoes. In a vessel, combine the tomatoes, 1 chopped garlic clove, 10 fresh basil leaves, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tbsp dried oregano, then blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

Shape and Top the Pizza
Coat a dough ball in semolina flour and gently stretch it out from the centre on a board, leaving a raised crust border. Spread a generous layer of tomato sauce over the base, top with thinly sliced garlic, fresh basil leaves, a sprinkle of dried oregano, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bake and Serve
Transfer the pizza onto a pizza peel and launch into a preheated pizza oven at 450°C. Bake for roughly 90 seconds, rotating regularly for an even rise and charred crust, then slice and serve hot.