Stretching Neapolitan Pizza Dough
Stretching Neapolitan dough is a gentle game of trapping air, not flattening it. You start by pressing the center of your room-temperature dough ball to push gas into the rim, then use the backs of your hands to stretch the disk without tearing the delicate, proofed structure.
Room temperature is non-negotiable.
Cold dough will snap back like a rubber band and refuse to stretch. Ensure your proofed dough balls have rested out of the fridge for at least two hours before you begin.
- Floured work surface
- Dough scraper
- Clean hands
What goes in.
- 4proofed Neapolitan dough balls (250g each)
- 1/2 cupfine semolina flour for dusting
Creating the Cornicione
Your fingers are the most important tool. Use your fingertips to press from the center outward, stopping a half-inch from the edge to preserve a pocket of air that will rise into the crust.
The method.
Prep the surface
Dust your counter with a light layer of semolina. Place the dough ball in the center and coat it lightly.
The central press
Press your fingertips into the center of the dough, moving toward the edge but leaving the outer border untouched. Flip the dough and repeat on the other side.
The knuckle stretch
Pick up the dough. Drape it over the backs of your hands. Move your hands in a circular motion, letting gravity gently pull the center thin while your knuckles support the rim.
Final check
Lay the disk on a floured pizza peel. If it shrinks, let it rest for five minutes to relax the gluten before topping.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never use a rolling pin, as it crushes the air pockets necessary for the crust to rise.
If the dough tears, pinch it shut immediately and let it rest for ten minutes.
Keep your fingernails short to avoid puncturing the skin of the dough.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why does my dough keep shrinking back?
The gluten is too tight. Let the dough rest covered for 15-20 minutes, then try again.
Should I use flour or semolina?
Semolina acts like tiny ball bearings, helping the pizza slide off the peel. Use flour for the counter but finish with semolina on the peel.
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