Real Neapolitan pizza is appreciated nowadays for its sparseness, capture flavor, and traditional cooking techniques. This pizza type emerged in Naples, Italy and differentiated from the rest due to certain special attributes of the ingredients which is used to prepare it, the ways the food is prepared and even on how it is cooked. The question that may come to mind is what kind of elements transform Neapolitan pizza into a masterpiece and you can also get it from pizza takeaway Stockport. Below is a look at some of the features that make it stand out and to date it is among the most preferred cuisine.
The Basic Components Are:
Dough: Substituted with finely ground ‘00’ flour, water, salt and yeast, the dough is smooth, elastic and has a slightly viscous consistency. The use of “00” flour provides the dough with the right texture due to its high gluten content besides giving it a great crust when baking.
San Marzano Tomatoes: The authentic San Marzano tomatoes which originate in the volcanic soil around the Mount Vesuvius are more sweetish and lesser acidic than normal tomatoes. These tomatoes are the key component of the sauce which is used for the pizza and bring rather sharp and very tasty taste.
Mozzarella di Bufala (Buffalo Mozzarella) or Fior di Latte (Cow’s Milk Mozzarella): Neapolitan uses a fresh mozzarella that has excellent characteristics which melt well taking a cream texture on the top of the pizza. The cheese used is mild, slightly tangy so as to add some character to the sauce but not outdo it.
Fresh Basil: A few leaves of fresh basil can be added so as to boost the taste and aroma of the dish being prepared.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Just a little drizzle of olive oil extra virgin olive oil gives a fruity flavour and helps everything meld together.
These are the simple but quality ingredients which actually helped Neapolitan pizza to have its unique and tasty flavor where each of those components is important to make a perfect Neapolitan pizza.
Why Does the Dough Give Neapolitan Pizza Its Flavor?
The matter is that dough is the main product of Neapolitan pizza, and its formation is strict. Dough is usually subjected to fermentation for about one to 24 hours so that the yeast could make the dough to rise. It makes the dough sour in a slow process, and you’ve to be very sure that the balance between chewing and crispness is what you want in your dough after baking it.
It is again pulled by hand into a thin circular shape having a maximum thickness of not more than 3mm at the middle. Nevertheless, they are left a little more so as to make the well-known Neapolitan pizza crust “cornicione “, it has a spongy texture with blisters that makes it a soft one with a hard outside layer.
Why Neapolitan Pizza Must Be Cooked Using Wood Fire?
Another obvious component about Neapolitan pizza that sets it apart from other pizzas made in the world is how it is prepared. The common and popular way of cooking the pizza is in a wood-fired oven, which can get as hot as 800-900F (425-480C). This high temperature allows the pizza to be baked within 60-90 seconds, which is what makes pizzas what they are.
It is fast enough to keep the toppings moist and tasty while at the same time giving the dough a black crust, but not dry or chewy. The use of wood fire contributes to the smoky flavor of crust which when added to the pizza makes it tastier. This kind of baking process on high heat in a short time also produces the right combination of texture; while the bottom is slightly chewy it has a crispy and airy top.
How Does the Combination of Flavors in Neapolitan Pizza Different?
Getting into Neapolitan pizza, it is all about getting that perfect balance. Thus, unlike many other pizzas which specify such features as numerous toppings, or rather dense sauce, Neapolitan pizza concentrates on balance. The sauce, prepared from a can of San Marzano tomatoes, serves to complement the dairy’s delicious and sharp mozzarella. The fresh basil gives it an herb like taste and the olive oil adds the oiliness to it without making it too oily.
The proportion of these ingredients plus the chewy yet crispy nature of the crust makes the food very appetizing that you would want to have more of the fast food. These are interspersed washed down mouthfuls of light and wholesome at the same time making Neapolitan pizzas ideal for any occasion.
Pizza originally hails from Naples and the traditional methods of making the pizza are well specified by the AVPN hence true Neapolitan pizza. Such rules help to guarantee that the pizza is to be cooked in a certain manner and, therefore, only with the use of high-quality ingredients and adherence to procedures that form part of the traditional practices.
For instance, the dough has to be manual stretched and the pizza baked in a wooden fired oven. The size of the pizza is also controlled; normally a Neapolitan pizza does not exceeds 12 inches in diameter. They are the traditions of making Neapolitan pizza that protect its identity and its flavour, which makes it possible for each pie to serve theNeapolitan pizza taste which was fifty years ago or even hundreds of years ago.
What Makes Neapolitan Pizza Taste Better When Fresh Mozzarella Is Incorporated Into the Dish?
Namely, original Neapolitan pizza definitely cannot do without fresh cheese, and especially Mozzarella di Bufala. Mozzarella cheese used in the normal pizzas is not fresh and usually comes in pre-shredded form, however fresh mozzarella has a mild taste and a slight creamy texture when melted over the pizza. With a moisture content of 45%, the cheese is soft and slightly elastic and the fat acids contribute to the excellent melt qualities without becoming greasy and heavy.
It complements the tomato sauce which has a tangy taste besides enhancing the overall flavor of the dish when combined with a crispy crust. It adds to the other parts of the pizza without dominating them so that you are able to taste and relish each component of the pizza.
