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Saint Agatha Cathedral in Catania, Sicily

A Local's One Day Itinerary Catania Sicily

Close up view of a Margherita Neapolitan style pizza with buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil.

<h3>authentic italian pizza recipe</h3><p>Pizza is one of the world’s most beloved dishes, but what many people don’t realize is just how much it changes depending on where—and how—you make it. There isn’t just one “authentic” way to prepare pizza; there are countless variations, each with its own charm. From the thin and crispy Roman style to the fluffy Neapolitan dough, or even creative modern twists, pizza is a canvas for culinary imagination.</p><p><strong>This recipe is easy and beginner-friendly</strong>. You don’t need to be an expert or spend hours kneading and waiting. It’s a simple approach designed for first-timers who want to make delicious homemade pizza without stress. You’ll still get that wonderful aroma, golden crust, and perfect bite—without complicated steps.</p><table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1" data-mce-style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Season</td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;"><strong>Any</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Ingredients</td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;"><strong>9</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Difficulty</td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;"><strong>Easy</strong></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Serving</td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;"><strong>8</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Ingredients You'll Need</h2><p>Before you start cooking, gather all the necessary ingredients:</p><table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 80%; float: left;" data-mce-selected="1" data-mce-style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 80%; float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;"><em>Pounds</em></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;"><em>Grams</em></td><td style="width: 50%; text-align: left;" data-mce-style="width: 50%; text-align: left;"><br></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;"><strong>1 cup</strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;"><strong>250 g</strong></td><td style="width: 50%; text-align: left;" data-mce-style="width: 50%; text-align: left;">&nbsp;Manitoba flour 🥣</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;"><strong>1 cup</strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;"><strong>250 g</strong></td><td style="width: 50%; text-align: left;" data-mce-style="width: 50%; text-align: left;">"0" flour 🥣</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>2 tsp</strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>4 g/2 g</strong></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Fresh yeast/dry yeast 🍞</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>1 ⅔ cups</strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>400 g</strong></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">&nbsp;Water 💧</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>8.8 oz</strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>250 g</strong></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Mozzarella 🧀</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>10.6 oz</strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>300 g</strong><br></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Tomato sauce 🍅</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong><br></strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>To taste</strong></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Fresh basil leaves🌿</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong><br></strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>To taste</strong></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Extra virgin olive oil 🫒</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong><br></strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>To taste</strong></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Salt 🧂</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong><br></strong></td><td style="width: 25%; text-align: right;" data-mce-style="width: 25%; text-align: right;"><strong>To taste<br></strong></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">Black pepper 🧂</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>Ingredients Guide:</strong></h3><p>🥣 The flour needs to have a <strong>certain strength</strong>, which means a good amount of protein. Without enough protein, the dough won’t rise properly and will lack structure. Ideally, look for flour with around <strong>12–13 g of protein per 100 g</strong>. Manitoba flour is an excellent choice because of its high protein content, but it creates a very elastic dough. For this reason, it’s often mixed with a standard “type 0” flour, which has slightly less protein, to achieve a balanced texture.</p><p>🍞Yeast can be either <strong>dry</strong> or <strong>fresh</strong>—the result will be the same. Fresh yeast should simply be dissolved in the water, while dry yeast needs to be activated first. To do this, place it in a glass with lukewarm water and a teaspoon of sugar. Stir well and let it sit for about 10 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when small bubbles appear and the mixture becomes slightly foamy and thicker. This step is important because if the yeast isn’t activated properly, it won’t work and the dough won’t rise.</p><p>🧀 Mozzarella should be authentic, ideally produced in Italy, and sold in its liquid brine. Avoid the dry, pre-shredded versions—they won’t give you the same flavor or texture.</p><p>🍅 Tomato sauce should be plain and simple— with no “pizza sauce” mixes or anything loaded with additives and sugar.</p><p>✨ <strong>Buy Italian Ingredients below</strong> 👇</p><table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1" data-mce-selected="1" data-mce-style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 100%;" data-mce-style="width: 100%;"><h3>🥣Manitoba flour (<a data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/41dTiMj" href="https://amzn.to/41dTiMj">Manitaly Manitoba Type "0" Flour</a>)</h3></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 100%;" data-mce-style="width: 100%;"><h3>🥣"0" flour (<a data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/3UASHRa" href="https://amzn.to/3UASHRa">Antimo Caputo Chefs Flour - Italian Double Zero 00</a>)</h3></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 100%;" data-mce-style="width: 100%;"><h3>🍞Dry yeast (<a data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/3V6BS0v" href="https://amzn.to/3V6BS0v">Paneangeli Lievito di Birra Mastro Fornaio Brewer's Yeast</a>)</h3></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 100%;" data-mce-style="width: 100%;"><h3>🍅Tomato sauce (<a data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/3Jojpdy" href="https://amzn.to/3Jojpdy">MUTTI TOMATO PUREE PASSATA</a>)</h3></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 100%;" data-mce-style="width: 100%;"><h3>🫒Extra virgin olive oil (<a data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/4fNzzJs" href="https://amzn.to/4fNzzJs">Frantoio Uliveti Umbri Extra Vergin Olive Oil</a>)</h3></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 100%;" data-mce-style="width: 100%;"><h3>🌿Fresh basil leaves (<a data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/4lDjfMt" href="https://amzn.to/4lDjfMt">MEYER FARMS Organic Basil</a>)</h3></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 100%;" data-mce-style="width: 100%;"><h3>🧂Salt (<a data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/3V6j6X4" href="https://amzn.to/3V6j6X4">Tuscanini Premium Italian Fine Sea Salt</a>)</h3></td></tr><tr><td style="width: 100%;" data-mce-style="width: 100%;"><h3>🧂Black Pepper (<a data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/4fImAZn" href="https://amzn.to/4fImAZn">Watkins Gourmet Organic Ground Black Pepper</a>)</h3></td></tr></tbody></table><h2>1. how to make homemade pizza dough</h2><ul><li>Place the flour in a large bowl. Dissolve the yeast in the water, then gradually add the water to the flour while mixing. Once the dough starts to come together, knead it until smooth and elastic—it takes 20 minutes. This is a high-hydration dough, so it will feel very wet and sticky at first. Don’t worry—that’s normal and exactly how it should be.</li><li>Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes. During this time, it will relax and become softer.</li><li>After resting, knead the dough again and start making the folds (known as pieghe in Italian). To do this, gently stretch the dough into a rectangle, then fold it over itself like a letter. This process strengthens the gluten and gives your pizza a better structure.</li><li>After 30 minutes, repeat the folds. Then cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave it to rise in the oven (turned off) for about 18 hours.</li><li>The timing doesn’t need to be exact—what matters is that this is a long fermentation process, so even though there isn’t much yeast, the dough will slowly develop and grow.</li><li>Finally, divide the dough into individual portions (panetti) and let them rise for another 3 hours before shaping your pizzas. The size of each portion depends on the size of your baking tray, so just estimate it by eye.</li></ul><h2>2. Layering the toppings</h2><ul><li>Prepare the tomato sauce and season it to taste. I kept it simple with just a pinch of salt and a little black pepper.</li><li>Spread the tomato sauce first, then add the mozzarella cut into pieces. I recommend opening the mozzarella a bit earlier, squeezing out the excess liquid, and letting it dry slightly so it doesn’t make the pizza too watery. Finally, drizzle some olive oil over the pizza for extra flavor and finish with fresh basil.</li><li>Get creative with your toppings! I went for one with salsiccia and kept another as a classic margherita.</li></ul><h2>5. Baking to Perfection</h2><ul><li>Home ovens can’t quite reach <a href="https://amzn.to/45pW17V" data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/45pW17V">https://amzn.to/45pW17V</a>the high temperatures of a real pizzeria (usually around 400–450°C / 750–850°F). I baked mine at the highest setting on my oven, which was 220°C / 430°F, and it took about 10 minutes in a static oven. If you want to hit authentic pizza-baking temperatures, there are special <strong>pizza and bread ovens</strong>— 👉<strong> check out a couple of options below:</strong><br></li></ul><h3><a data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/3JqL4uc" href="https://amzn.to/3JqL4uc">Ooni Karu 2 Pro Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven</a></h3><h3><a data-mce-href="https://amzn.to/45pW17V" href="https://amzn.to/45pW17V">PIEZANO 14 Inch Extra Large Crispy Crust Pizza Oven by Granitestone</a></h3><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Making classic Italian pizza at home is easier than you might think and always incredibly satisfying. With a few simple steps and good-quality ingredients, you can create a pizza that’s both delicious and authentically Italian—perfect for sharing with friends or family.</p><p><br></p>

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Travel and Food Blog

A Local's One Day Itinerary Catania Sicily

How to make homemade pizza like an Italian

A Local's Guide to southern italy food: Puglia

A local's guide to italy hidden gems: Cilento

A Local's Guide: Best Food in Naples Italy

A Local's Guide to Naples Italy