Classic Neapolitan Pizza with Anchovies, Capers, and Oregano

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This traditional Pizza Napoletana from Naples showcases the briny punch of salt-cured anchovies, tangy capers, and fragrant oregano over a pillowy, blistered crust. Unlike its famous cousin the Margherita, this pie is defined by its seafood topping and minimal cheese for an intensely savory bite.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 580 kcalCalories
• 18 gFat
• 5 gSaturated Fat
• 78 gCarbs
• 4 gFiber
• 5 gSugar
• 24 gProtein
• 1280 mgSodium
• 420 mgPotassium
• 180 mgCalcium
• 5 mgIron
• 9 mgVitamin C
• 110 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the dough (12-24 hr cold ferment)

• 500 g Italian 00 flour
• 325 g cool water (about 65% hydration)
• 10 g fine sea salt
• 3 g active dry yeast (or 9 g fresh yeast)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For the tomato sauce

• 400 g San Marzano DOP tomatoes, hand-crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

For the toppings and finishing

• 200 g fior di latte mozzarella (or low-moisture mozzarella), torn into small pieces
• 12-16 oil-packed or salt-cured anchovy fillets
• 2 tablespoons capers in brine, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, plus more for finishing
• Handful of Taggiasca or Gaeta olives, pitted (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Semolina or 00 flour, for dusting the peel

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the cool water. Add the flour and salt and mix by hand or with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then drizzle in the olive oil.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth, soft, and elastic. The dough should be tacky but not sticky; add a sprinkle of flour only if it sticks to your hands.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate for 12-24 hours to develop flavor and an open crumb.
4. Divide the cold dough into 4 equal pieces (about 200 g each) and shape each into a smooth ball. Place on a floured tray, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 2-4 hours until puffy and relaxed.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: hand-crush the San Marzano tomatoes with their juices, season with salt, olive oil, and a pinch of oregano, and set aside. If using salt-packed anchovies, rinse them and remove the central bone; if oil-packed, drain them well on paper towels.
6. Preheat a pizza stone or steel on the middle rack of your oven at its maximum temperature (500-550 degrees F) for at least 45 minutes. If using a pizza peel, dust it generously with semolina or 00 flour.
7. Gently stretch each dough ball by hand into a 10-inch round with a slightly puffy outer rim (cornicione); never use a rolling pin, as you want to preserve the airy interior.
8. Spread about 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce thinly over the center of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Scatter a few pieces of torn mozzarella, then arrange 3-4 anchovy fillets in a crosshatch pattern and dot with capers and a few olives if using.
9. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for 5-8 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is puffed, blistered, and leopard-spotted and the bottom is crisp and lightly charred. Finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of dried oregano.
10. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, serving each pizza immediately while the crust is still soft and the toppings glossy and fragrant.

Cook’s Notes

• Use Italian 00 flour for the softest, chewiest crust; bread flour works in a pinch but yields a chewier, denser bite.
• Salt-packed anchovies offer a cleaner, more delicate flavor than oil-packed varieties; be sure to rinse and debone them thoroughly before using.
• A screaming-hot pizza steel mimics a Neapolitan wood-fired oven more closely than a stone; preheat it for at least 45 minutes at your oven's maximum temperature for the best leopard-spotted char.
• Resist the urge to overload the pizza; authentic Neapolitan pies are topped sparingly so the dough remains the star and the crust can blister properly.
• Extra dough balls can be frozen in individual portions for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before stretching.

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